[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5845-H5857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1415
CONDEMNING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S RACIST COMMENTS DIRECTED AT MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 491, I call up
the resolution (H. Res. 489) condemning President Trump's racist
comments directed at Members of Congress, and ask for its immediate
consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cleaver). Pursuant to House Resolution
491, the resolution is considered read.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 489
Whereas the Founders conceived America as a haven of refuge
for people fleeing from religious and political persecution,
and Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison
all emphasized that the Nation gained as it attracted new
people in search of freedom and livelihood for their
families;
Whereas the Declaration of Independence defined America as
a covenant based on equality, the unalienable Rights of life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and government by the
consent of the people;
Whereas Benjamin Franklin said at the Constitutional
convention, ``When foreigners after looking about for some
other Country in which they can obtain more happiness, give a
preference to ours, it is a proof of attachment which ought
to excite our confidence and affection'';
Whereas President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ``Remember,
remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially,
are descended from immigrants and revolutionists'';
Whereas immigration of people from all over the Earth has
defined every stage of American history and propelled our
social, economic, political, scientific, cultural, artistic,
and technological progress as a people, and all Americans,
except for the descendants of Native people and enslaved
African Americans, are immigrants or descendants of
immigrants;
Whereas the commitment to immigration and asylum has been
not a partisan cause but a powerful national value that has
infused the work of many Presidents;
Whereas American patriotism is defined not by race or
ethnicity but by devotion to the Constitutional ideals of
equality, liberty, inclusion, and democracy and by service to
our communities and struggle for the common good;
Whereas President John F. Kennedy, whose family came to the
United States from Ireland, stated in his 1958 book ``A
Nation of Immigrants'' that ``The contribution of immigrants
can be seen in every aspect of our national life. We see it
in religion, in politics, in business, in the arts, in
education, even in athletics and entertainment. There is no
part of our nation that has not been touched by our immigrant
background. Everywhere immigrants have enriched and
strengthened the fabric of American life.'';
Whereas President Ronald Reagan in his last speech as
President conveyed ``An observation about a country which I
love'';
Whereas as President Reagan observed, the torch of Lady
Liberty symbolizes our freedom and represents our heritage,
the compact with our parents, our grandparents, and our
ancestors, and it is the Statue of Liberty and its values
that give us our great and special place in the world;
Whereas other countries may seek to compete with us, but in
one vital area, as ``a beacon of freedom and opportunity that
draws the people of the world, no country on Earth comes
close'';
Whereas it is the great life force of ``each generation of
new Americans that guarantees that America's triumph shall
continue unsurpassed'' through the 21st century and beyond
and is part of the ``magical, intoxicating power of
America'';
Whereas this 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'';
Whereas ``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;
Whereas this openness is vital to our future as a Nation,
and ``if we ever closed the door to new Americans, our
leadership in the world would soon be lost''; and
Whereas President Donald Trump's racist comments have
legitimized fear and hatred of new Americans and people of
color: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) believes that immigrants and their descendants have
made America stronger, and that those who take the oath of
citizenship are every bit as American as those whose families
have lived in the United States for many generations;
(2) is committed to keeping America open to those lawfully
seeking refuge and asylum from violence and oppression, and
those who are willing to work hard to live the American
Dream, no matter their race, ethnicity, faith, or country of
origin; and
(3) strongly condemns President Donald Trump's racist
comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred
of new Americans and people of color by saying that our
fellow Americans who are immigrants, and those who may look
to the President like immigrants, should ``go back'' to other
countries, by referring to immigrants and asylum seekers as
``invaders,'' and by saying that Members of Congress who are
immigrants (or those of our colleagues who are wrongly
assumed to be immigrants) do not belong in Congress or in the
United States of America.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution shall be debatable for 1
hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Collins) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material on H. Res. 489.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, the comments described in this resolution were not just
offensive to our colleagues; they were inconsistent with the principles
and values upon which this Nation was founded.
In urging four female Members of Congress of color to ``go back''
where they came from, these comments were not only factually incorrect,
but they were also deeply hurtful and divisive.
These were shocking comments, even from an administration that rips
children from the arms of their parents and warehouses asylum seekers
in facilities under inhumane conditions. We cannot let this moment pass
without a forceful condemnation.
Need I remind the Speaker that this is the same President who
defended the ``very fine people'' at the neo-Nazi march in
Charlottesville, who denounced the ``s-hole countries'' in Africa and
the Caribbean, who claimed that Haitian immigrants ``all have AIDS,''
[[Page H5846]]
and who declared that a Mexican American judge who was born in the
United States had an ``inherent conflict of interest'' against him.
At every turn, Democrats have denounced offensive comments that
emanate from the White House, but the silence coming from the other
side of the aisle has been deafening. I hope that will finally change
today.
This Congress must speak--loudly and with one voice--to condemn the
President's words and, more importantly, to condemn the sentiments
behind them.
The United States should be a beacon of hope and a refuge to those
who need its protection, and it should welcome with open arms those who
embody our values and ideals.
From our earliest days as a nation, we have welcomed people fleeing
persecution and violence and those who seek economic opportunity and
freedom in a land whose diversity is one of its greatest strengths. But
the President has, instead, pursued a relentless campaign to build both
a literal and a figurative wall around this Nation.
We must not turn our backs on our historic commitment to immigration
and to refuge, and we must not fall prey to racial stereotypes and
nativist fear-mongering that thinks that some immigrants who came here
years ago are okay but those who come here today, because they are from
so-called s-hole countries, are not okay.
It was Martin Luther King who told us: ``I have a dream that my four
little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their
character.''
The offensive words by the President undermine that dream. They
contradict that dream.
Mr. Chair, I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in
denouncing racism and in supporting this resolution, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this is the third time that I have stood in this well
this year on this floor about this subject, and I have been clear at
every juncture: Racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism will find no refuge
in the people's House.
We expect each other to speak fairly, truthfully, and respectfully of
all our fellow Members of Congress and of the President--not because we
agree with each other all the time, but because we have great respect
for the Americans who elected us and to represent them from one end of
Pennsylvania Avenue to the other.
I come here today, Mr. Speaker, with much grief and many questions.
The first may be procedural, but it is not trivial.
The Democrats wrote a resolution last night. It is on the floor
today. I just have a question: What happened to the 72-hour rule
ensuring Members have an opportunity to review legislation and seek
feedback from constituents before voting on it? What happened to
regular order? This never came through committee.
Why does the House have rules if the Democratic majority only follows
them when politically convenient? And, also, as was brought up in the
rules debate, there was even no consultation with others who would want
to be a part of this.
The President has every right to be frustrated with Congress for the
work that we have failed to do on multiple fronts, including the
border. I also understand that his recent tweets make it hard for us to
move forward.
Attacks are like quicksand: They trap and they defeat us before we
know it. They are distracting us from legislating. That was true when a
lawmaker implied last week that a Member of the House leadership was
singling out ``newly elected women of color'' and when other
Representatives were accused of enabling a racist system.
It is true as we see little to no concern from my colleagues across
the aisle when a foreign flag is raised over an American facility or a
terrorist firebombed another facility.
It is true when the President of the United States, out of
frustration, tweeted this weekend, and it is true of many comments
coming from lawmakers today.
In fact, it is interesting for my chairman to say that they have
called out the President every time but, also, many times--and this is
just a small listing of every week that they have not called out their
own Members for things that I cannot read on this floor.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we are too quick this Congress to allow
political ends to justify procedural means. But that is not democracy
rooted in our unalienable rights, rights the second clause in this
resolution affirms. The resolution is simply a lesson in political
expediency.
Integrity is a prerequisite to our covenant to govern by the consent
of the people, which this resolution also affirms.
We knew when we voted for the House rules this January that we could
not, in this Chamber, use certain language about other democratically
elected leaders. We agreed to let ideas compete for our votes and use
rhetoric as a tool to build bridges instead of as kindling to burn
those bridges down. Yet not a week goes by, as we have already pointed
out, without Members of this body issuing statements or tweets that I
could not and will not read from this floor without violating our
rules.
It is amazing, but not surprising, that some of my colleagues are
using this platform to call for impeachment since many have been making
that call since November of 2016--no justification then, and definitely
not now.
You see, Mr. Speaker, pleas for decorum are not merely a refuge for
lawmakers who find themselves in the minority. Decorum is a symptom of
a healthy and confident democracy. When we can debate ideas on this
floor, decorum ensures democracy's every voice can be heard.
I would like to lend my voice to the chorus of lawmakers supporting
the first 15 clauses of this resolution, but for the misguided title
and the fourth page of this resolution, we could have had a suspension
vote.
To its credit, the resolution states the House of Representatives
``is committed to keeping America open to those lawfully seeking refuge
and asylum.'' I agree.
Everyone who votes for this resolution will now be on record as
opposing illegal immigration, and I hope we can all work together to
address the border crisis based on that common foundation.
Again, you don't need a vote on this resolution to do that. You
simply have to look at the border and acknowledge the crisis.
But we will still have a problem with this resolution. We cannot, by
our own House rules, support a resolution that labels the President in
this way, and I will not.
The rules that have governed this body since the first United States
Congress do not allow us to devolve in that way. However, it doesn't
mean that we can't condemn racial or ethnic prejudice. It doesn't mean
we can't decisively reject anti-Semitism, as we have on this floor. In
my view, we have not done it so far in this Congress to that extent,
but we have time for a clarion call on that front. I know some
colleagues on both sides of the aisle who could join each other in that
conviction.
Our own standards of decorum, however, in fact, empower us to welcome
to America every person who respects our laws and wants to help defend
our freedoms. These standards also give us a platform to admit when we
and those around us make mistakes.
When we consider the power of this Chamber to legislate for the
common good, I wonder why my colleagues have become so eager to attack
the President that they are willing to sacrifice the rules, precedents,
and the integrity of the people's House for an unprecedented vote that
undercuts its very democratic processes.
I wonder, if the comments in view today are what some of my
colleagues say they are, why this resolution had to rephrase them to
make its point. The resolution condemns comments in a way that exposes
the breathtaking partisanship of today's exercise.
The resolution quotes only three words from the comments it rejects--
the words ``go back'' and ``invaders.'' Beyond those three words, the
resolution substitutes its own phrasing and editorializing for the
words this resolution has in view.
Again, a partisan show. That is a tell that today's resolution is
more of a political jab than anything else. It is, therefore, a signal
for us to take a moment to look inward.
[[Page H5847]]
I wonder if, when we are tempted to accuse our sister, our brother,
our fellow American, political foe, or Madam Speaker of racism--by the
way, I do not believe that the President is a racist. I do not believe
the Speaker of this House is a racist. I do not believe the majority
leader is a racist. I do not believe the minority leader is a racist.
We can go down this line. I do not believe that. Then why do we insist
on using this floor to litigate the propriety of statements made
outside these walls?
We assign a lot of wicked intent to a lot of tweets, even though 280
characters offers us the least context for making our points and
endless potential for misunderstanding each other.
To be fair, a lot of political speech today seems to be made to
deepen our divide by highlighting our differences, and that is a cause
for sadness. That is exactly what the rules of decorum in this body are
designed to guard against.
We have a choice this afternoon, Mr. Speaker. We can pursue
escalation against our fellow Americans, or we can pursue
reconciliation on their behalf. Only one of those options makes room
for this body to do its job: the legislating of the solutions for the
challenges of the American people.
Many of the Members are my friends, and I am thankful for the chance
to work alongside each of them every day. But, today, we renew our
commitment to the democratic ideals of this Chamber by voting against a
flawed resolution, against a political statement, against something
that could not even be written in a proper way without adding editorial
and paraphrased comments.
I would ask each of my friends on both sides of the aisle to evaluate
what is before them, evaluate what we have done, and evaluate what we
don't take up for political convenience when it is our side saying it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader of the House.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia, who is my friend; and I
want to respectfully say to him: This resolution is not about
partisanship. It is about prejudice and the necessity to confront it.
Mr. Speaker, my father was from Denmark. He was born and raised in
Copenhagen and came here as an adult in his twenties. I have a large
extended family in Denmark.
The President of the United States, Mr. Speaker, did not tell me to
go back to Denmark.
He did not tell the Speaker of this House, a woman proud of her
Italian American heritage, to go back to Italy.
He did not tell the Irish American Members of this body to go back to
Ireland or tell those of German ancestry to go back to Germany. No.
He told four women of color, three of whom are natural-born citizens,
born and raised in their home country of America, to ``go back'' to
their countries.
This is their country, Mr. Speaker, I would tell the President.
And it is the country of our colleague who came here as a refugee
from Somalia. She endured hardships and arrived on our shores like so
many others, seeking freedom, safety, and opportunity.
She is an American citizen, one who chose to give back to her
community and our country through public service. This is her country.
I will not speculate on this floor about the motives or intentions of
the President, but no one can dispute that the words he said and wrote
were racist words--and have been called such by Republicans--with a
long history of being used to demean, dismiss, and denigrate some
American citizens as less than others, as not fully belonging in our
country because of the color of their skin or the origin of their
families.
Mr. Speaker, to oppose this resolution is, in effect, saying the
words were acceptable.
{time} 1430
They were not acceptable. Such words should never be acceptable from
the leader of this country, or frankly, anybody else. They demean our
Declaration of Independence; they demean our Constitution; and they
demean our Pledge of Allegiance: ``One Nation . . . indivisible.''
So I urge this House to come together and support this resolution. No
matter whether one supports this President or not; whether one believes
he is a racist or not; vote for this resolution that condemns the words
he spoke. They hurt. They are not American. They are not us. The
sentiment was not one we ought to espouse.
Mr. Speaker, I say to the President, if I were speaking to him: The
next time you wish to denigrate and demean those who came here, or the
children and grandchildren of immigrants, say it to me. Say it to all
of us in this House. Say it to every descendant of immigrants.
Express the sentiment of the House of Representatives that this is
not the conversation that we have in America. We lift our lamp beside
the golden door. Let us keep that flame bright.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Before we go any further, let me just remind
Members to refrain from engaging in personality-based remarks toward
the President.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, we have, unfortunately, entered a period
of our history when our political rhetoric has become hyperbolic, just
as our political views are becoming increasingly irreconcilable. We
would all be well-advised not to continue down this road.
``America, love it or leave it,'' is not a new sentiment nor a
radical sentiment, and it certainly is not a racist sentiment. It
should remind us of commonly-held and enduring founding principles that
ought to be uniting us as a free people: Respect for the rule of law,
and for the uniquely American principles of individual liberty,
constitutionally-limited government, and personal responsibility that
have produced the happiest, most productive and most powerful Nation in
the history of the world.
Every nation has a right to protect its culture, traditions,
institutions, and principles. This fundamental consensus is what binds
us together and unites us as a free people, and it is what makes
possible all of the compromises and accommodations required by
democratic self-government.
We have entered an era when that consensus is breaking down. We have
seen a growing hostility to our American Founders, our American
founding principles, and our proud American heritage.
Legal immigration, immigrants who come to our country by obeying our
laws, respecting our Nation's sovereignty, and bringing with them a
sincere desire to embrace our Constitution and the principles of
liberty that animate and inform our form of government, is integral to
this process.
Some of the most patriotic Americans I know are legal immigrants who
obeyed our laws, who waited patiently in line, who did everything our
country asked of them.
Some of the most unpatriotic Americans I know were born here and have
enjoyed all of the blessings of liberty, without ever appreciating or
even understanding the principles that produced our Nation's greatness
and its goodness.
Socialism and slavery spring from the same principle--in Lincoln's
words: ``It is the same spirit that says, `you work and toil and earn
bread, and I'll eat it.''' He reminded us that ``A house divided
against itself cannot stand.'' He said: ``I do not expect the house to
fall--but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all
one thing or all the other.''
He understood that freedom and slavery were antithetical; and though
they might be held together in a temporary accommodation, they could
not coexist for long.
Today, we face the same conflict between freedom and socialism, and
it is time to choose.
Now, I wish the President were more temperate in the words he
sometimes uses, and I agree that the tone of his recent remarks was
unnecessarily provocative. But his central point is irrefutable. There
is no requirement for those who hate our country to remain here when
there are so many other
[[Page H5848]]
countries with different principles and values to choose from and that
have, in turn, produced very different results.
This is as true of those born here as those who have come here from
abroad. The President spoke not of race but of patriotism, American
patriotism. And to call that racist fundamentally misunderstands and
misrepresents the question before our country today.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski), the sponsor of the resolution.
Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, when I saw the President's comments over
the weekend, my first thought was, my politics may not always be the
same as the Congresswomen he was attacking; but all of us are
Americans. And unlike most of them, I was actually born in a foreign
country.
I took the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United
States when I was 10 years old, with my mom, when I was sworn in to be
a citizen 5 years after we came here from Poland.
Does the President think I should go back because I am an immigrant
who disagrees with his policies?
There are 44 million of us American citizens who were born somewhere
else, and we new Americans know what it means to be American because we
chose America. We know the alternative.
Many of us do come from broken countries, a communist country, in my
case, broken by communism and, in many cases, broken by leaders who did
just what we are condemning today, using race and religion to divide
people.
The President may be doing it cynically. He wants the drama. He wants
the reality show.
In my district, we have to deal with the reality that these words are
dangerous. Every synagogue in my district either has armed security or
is struggling with the question of whether to have it. Every mosque has
State Police coming to Friday prayers.
We know that the words the President uses to drive up his ratings can
be like sparks to the gasoline of disturbed minds in our country; that
the man who massacred Jews in Pittsburgh was obsessed with migrant
caravans and blamed Jews for helping refugees; that the man who
murdered Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, believed immigrants are
invaders who should go back to their country.
These fringe haters have always been with us. Never before have their
twisted thoughts been legitimized by the highest leaders in our land.
Yesterday, after the President's tweets, the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer
website gloated that this is the kind of white nationalism we voted
for.
Now, we have to decide, is this the kind of politics that we want in
our country?
Mr. Speaker, this resolution is not really about the President. We
know who he is. My Republican colleagues know who he is.
The question is--the only question left to us is, who are we? Because
this is not about him. This is about us.
Are we still the country of immigrants and of laws that every great
American leader, from Ben Franklin, to FDR, to John F. Kennedy, to
George Bush, believed in?
Do we still believe what Ronald Reagan said that: ``Americans lead
the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people, our
strength, from every country and every corner of the world;'' that new
Americans ``renew our pride and gratitude in the United States of
America, the greatest, freest Nation in the world''?
This is the choice that every Member of the House will have to make
tonight. Do we agree with President Reagan's hopeful, confident,
patriotic vision of America, or with President Trump's message of fear?
Mr. Speaker, Republicans and Democrats can afford to disagree about
many things in this House; but let us not be divided on decency to our
fellow Americans.
At this defining moment for our country and for this body, let us
come together to support this resolution.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gonzalez).
Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I was one of the first
Republicans, I believe, to speak out once the comments became public on
Sunday. I did it Sunday afternoon, and then I did it again on Monday.
But I cannot, in good faith, support this resolution because I can't
possibly overlook the partisan nature in which it was brought forward,
and the number of issues that we have control over in the House that we
are choosing to ignore and have continued to ignore since we were sworn
in in January.
We have Members of this body who have called detention facilities
concentration camps; have supported people who are labeling our Border
Patrol agents and our ICE officers as Nazis.
The gentleman just mentioned some folks outside of this body of
Congress who may, he believes, have been inspired by certain comments.
Well, where is the condemnation of these?
When are we going to stand up and condemn those who call Americans,
who are doing their jobs, by the way, enforcing laws that we enact,
Nazis? When are we going to push back on that?
When are we going to push back on comments, after one of our Members
was criticized, they said, and I quote: After the comments, ``I got a
text message from a friend who's like, hey, next time, you know, really
clarify. Maybe talk like a fourth grader because maybe the racist
idiots would understand you better''?
Am I a racist idiot? Do I read at a fourth-grade level? Do the
Members of this body?
Have we gotten so broken as a Congress, where a simple disagreement
results in us labeling one another racist idiots? Is that who we are?
Where's the condemnation? When are we going to speak out about that?
And I don't have to remind this body about the last time we were here
for a similar process, when one of our Members said: ``It's all about
the Benjamins,'' implying that Members of both sides of the aisle are
being purchased and bought by our Jewish brothers and sisters.
When are we going to stand up and speak out against that? Because I
have been here for 7 months now, and it is the same thing over and over
again.
And the people who lose--and we all know this--are the constituents
who are relying on us to actually work to solve problems.
We have done nothing to support USMCA, to bring it up for a vote. We
have done nothing to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. We
haven't done anything since we have been here, and the reason is
because we have been focused on fighting each other online; biting back
and forth; rushing in front of the cameras; boosting our Twitter
followers; and inciting the very division that prevents us from seeking
common ground.
I, like I know most of my colleagues, came here to find common
ground. We came here to fight for the ideals that make our Nation
great.
I am the son of Cuban immigrants, proudly.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution
because I want every single person in my district to know that not only
are they part of the squad, but they are--we are all here to stay. I
want them to know that they belong; that we see and hear them loud and
clear.
Mr. Speaker, I am more proud today than ever to be the daughter of
Palestinian immigrants; to be the first in my family to graduate high
school and, later, college; to have grown up in the city that birthed
movements that fought and won against racism and inequality in our
country. It is a city that taught me to never back down; to speak up
when I see injustice, and one that elected the first of two Muslim
women serving in the United States Congress.
This resolution chooses all of us. It chooses you. It chooses those
who are marginalized and, more importantly, it chooses the values that
we all must live up to.
We cannot allow anyone, especially the President of the United
States, to erode our core American values. I urge my colleagues to
please choose our country, choose the American people, and to support
this resolution.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).
{time} 1445
Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 489,
the
[[Page H5849]]
latest legislative attack on the President. Much like most of the ideas
and comments coming from the leading members of the socialist left,
yesterday's press conference was, at best, political theater.
In the last few days, Democratic Members of this House have attacked
the President with claims of racism. Some have even said and then
walked back similar comments referring to the Democratic House Speaker.
None of those accusations are based in fact.
As the representative of the people of the Ninth Congressional
District of Pennsylvania, I feel it is most important to address this
matter and then move on to engage in the work and the matters of real
substance and importance to the people of our country, rather than
baseless name-calling and offensive lectures.
The ongoing policy debate across the country will continue to be
socialism versus American exceptionalism. The people will decide our
direction. What has really happened here is that the President and his
supporters have been forced to endure months of allegations of racism
and ``concentration camp'' accusations.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds
to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, this ridiculous slander does a disservice to
our Nation and to the American people, and I, like many, am tired of
it. I urge a ``no'' vote on the resolution aimed purely at harassing
the President of the United States.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I said earlier today that I wish we
were not here, but we are here. Now, I wish to indicate that I am
appalled at any commentary that demeans or hurts a fellow human being
or a fellow American or fellow world citizen. So the recounting of
various statements, I realize and recognize that comments were made
about statements to ease the pain of those who were receiving it.
Right now, we are talking about comments that came from the highest
office in the land, which really does reflect what this little book,
the Constitution, says, that this Nation was organized to create a more
perfect union. Yet, unfortunately, the officer in the White House, the
President of the United States, took to tweeting and talked about the
first African American woman from the Seventh District, the first
Palestinian American woman, the youngest woman elected to Congress, and
the first Somali American woman, women of color.
It is imperative today that, along with H. Res. 494, my resolution,
we condemn this action, and we do it together. I ask my Republican
colleagues to vote for the underlying resolution.
Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary
and Homeland Security, I rise in support of H. Res. 489, a resolution
condemning President Trump's racist comments directed at Members of
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, on November 6, 2018, in an election widely regarded as a
referendum on the performance and disapproval of the Administration of
President Donald J. Trump, the American people voted to vest control of
the U.S. House of Representatives in the Democratic Party to restore
the system of checks and balances designed by the Framers in 1787 in
Philadelphia.
The Representatives elected to the 116th Congress comprise the most
diverse class in American history with respect to its racial, ethnic,
and religious composition, and also includes the largest contingent of
female Representatives and the most members ever of the LGBTQ
community.
Among the cohort of the 40 Representatives first elected to the
Congress in the November 2018 election are several whose membership is
historic, including the Representative for the Seventh District of
Massachusetts, the first African American woman elected from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the Representative from the Thirteenth
District of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to
Congress; the Representative from the Fourteenth District of New York,
the youngest woman ever elected to Congress; and the Representative
from the Fifth District of Minnesota, the first Somali-American elected
to Congress.
In the discharge of their official duties as Members of Congress,
these talented and dedicated Members of Congress traveled to the
southern border of the United States to observe the living conditions
and treatment received by migrants and refugees seeking asylum in the
United States who are currently being held in detention facilities
operated under control or supervision of the U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), some consisting of nothing more than tent villages
cordoned off under highways.
Upon their return to the Capitol, these Members of Congress reported
their shock and horror regarding the appalling and inhumane conditions
to which detainees were being subjected by CPB at a public hearing of a
House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
On July 14, 2019, the President of the United States reacted to the
criticism of his Administration's treatment of detainees by these
Members of Congress in a series of unhinged tweets that questioned
their loyalty to the United States and implied that due to the
circumstances of their birth they had no right to exercise the
responsibilities and privileges of duly elected Members of Congress.
Specifically, the President tweeted that it was:
``So interesting to see ``Progressive'' Democrat Congresswomen, who
originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and
total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the
world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly .
. . and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest
and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why
don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested
places from which they came.''
The President's statements are false in that three of Members of
Congress he impugned are in fact natural born citizens and the fourth-
is a naturalized citizen.
Although the recent statements of the President are inaccurate and
offensive, they are consistent with prior statements he has made to
stoke to division, discord, and disharmony among the American people.
Let us not forget that the current President of the United States
burnished his political reputation by claiming falsely for more than 5
years that his predecessor was born in Kenya and not in the United
States and thus was an illegitimate President. The current President of
the United States launched his 2016 campaign for the Presidency by
saying of persons from Mexico seeking to immigrate to the United
States: ``They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're
rapists.''
The current President of the United States claimed that a Hispanic
federal jurist could not preside over a court proceeding to which then
presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization were
defendants accused of civil fraud because ``He's a Mexican!''
In January 2018 the current President of the United States is
reported to have inquired of his advisors: ``Why are we having all
these people from (expletive deleted) countries come here?'', referring
to persons from countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and
South America.
And most contemptible of all, on August 15, 2017 the current
President of the United States said he regarded as some ``very fine
people,'' the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Ku Klux Klansmen who
descended on the peaceful community of Charlottesville, Virginia to
advocate racism and who were met by peaceful counterprotestors in a
clash that the white supremacists turned violent and resulted in the
death of Heather Heyer and left injured many other innocent persons who
were gathered to affirm the principles of the Declaration of
Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and to honor the sacrifice of
unsung American heroes who devoted their lives to the ongoing quest to
continue perfecting our union.
Mr. Speaker, the recent and past statements and actions of the
current President of the United States demean the office he holds and
falls short of the standard set by the 16th President, whose
administration was devoted to unity, healing, and ending racial
division.
In his famous March 4, 1861, Inaugural Address, President Abraham
Lincoln foretold the reasons why the efforts of the current President
of the United States to rend our union are destined to fail:
``We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though
passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely
they will be, by the better angels of our nature.''
Before closing, Mr. Speaker, I think it appropriate to share my
perspective on immigration and significant and positive impact it has
in the development of this, the greatest nation in human history.
Like the Framers did in the summer of 1776, it is fitting that we
gather in the nation's capital on a sweltering July day to reflect upon
America's long and continuing struggle for justice, equality, and
opportunity.
After all, all that any of us wants is an honored place in the
American family.
I am often reminded that as I speak there is a family somewhere about
to begin a dangerous but hopeful quest.
[[Page H5850]]
Somewhere south of the border, maybe across the Rio Grande from El
Paso, Laredo, Corpus Christi, or Brownsville or maybe just south of
Tucson or San Diego or Douglass, Arizona.
Somewhere there is a family in the Old Country anxiously about to
embark on their own journey to the New World of America.
They come for the same reason so many millions came before them, in
this century and last, from this continent and from every other.
They come for the same reason families have always come to America:
to be free of fear and hunger, to better their condition, to begin
their world anew, to give their children a chance for a better life.
Like previous waves of immigrants, they too will wage all and risk
all to reach the sidewalks of Houston or Los Angeles or Phoenix or
Chicago or Atlanta or Denver or Detroit.
They will risk death in the desert; they will brave the elements,
they will risk capture and crime, they will endure separation from
loved ones.
And if they make it to the Promised Land of America, no job will be
beneath them.
They will cook our food, clean our houses, cut our grass, and care
for our kids.
They will be cheated by some and exploited by others.
They work in sunlight but live in twilight, between the shadows; not
fully welcome as new Americans but wanted as low-wage workers.
Somewhere near the borders tonight, a family will cross over into the
New World, willed by the enduring power of the American Dream.
I urge all Members to join me in supporting H. Res. 489.
All American should take pride in and celebrate the ethnic, racial,
and religious diversity that has made the United States the leader of
the community of nations and the beacon of hope and inspiration to
oppressed persons everywhere.
And in addition to the love and pride Americans justifiably have for
their country, all persons in the United States should cherish and
exercise the rights, privileges, and responsibilities guaranteed by the
Constitution of the United States.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).
Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition to the
resolution on the floor.
For the past 7 months, the President has stated that there is a
crisis on our border. Republican House leadership has said there is a
crisis on the border. My colleagues have said there is a crisis on the
border. And I have said there is a crisis on the border.
Throughout this, the Washington Democrats have denied it again and
again. From the party leadership and the committee chairs in hearings
and even on the House floor, many have said that the crisis is fake,
phony, nonexistent, manufactured, imaginary, and false. They turned a
blind eye to a crisis because of political opposition, and the media
followed suit.
A few weeks ago, several of my colleagues across the aisle took a
trip to our southern border, bringing cameras and journalists along
with them. They finally came to terms with what the Republicans have
been saying for months.
However, instead of focusing on the root of the problem,
underfunding, overcrowding, backlogged cases, and unprecedented surges,
they opposed funding and passed a bill to ban construction on the
southern border.
For 7 months, my colleagues across the aisle have denied a crisis and
failed to act. They still haven't acted. I want to work together to
solve this crisis. Instead, we are here debating political nonsense. I
have had enough talk about tweets, squads, infighting, labels, and
petty disagreements.
When we look at the content of the legislation brought up for
discussion today, it is no surprise that the American people have such
a low approval of Congress. If it is not a messaging bill to placate
the activists, it is an advancement of the socialist agenda, a bill to
handcuff our President, or a denouncement of American values.
I came to Congress to create jobs, grow the economy, innovate our
energy industry, and fix West Virginia's infrastructure. I was sent
here to move our country forward and to solve the problems that
actually affect the lives of those we represent. To improve our
communities, our country, that is why we are all here.
This resolution is a waste of time. I urge my colleagues to oppose
this legislation and any legislation that doesn't deliver the results
for our country that our citizens deserve.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I join in supporting this resolution. I felt
that we should have had a stronger resolution that censured the
President, H. Res. 490, because the conduct that has been charged is
beneath the Office of the President. He should not disparage people and
suggest they go back to where they were born.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx, and her parents were born in
Puerto Rico. Mr. Trump should know that Puerto Rico is the United
States of America.
From references to Haiti and African countries as ``-hole'' countries
to the ``fine people on both sides'' in Charlottesville with neo-Nazis
and Klansmen there, he has gone out of his way to find opportunities to
besmirch Hispanic Americans, people of Mexican descent, African
Americans, and African countries. This is wrong and beneath the Office
of the President.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Let me remind Members, again, to refrain
from engaging in personality-based remarks toward the President or any
other Member.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask for a time check on both
sides, please.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia has 12\1/4\
minutes remaining, and the gentleman from New York has 20 minutes
remaining.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 3 minutes
to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy).
Mr. DUFFY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.
I just want to note at the start of this resolution for the first
three pages I agree with everything. We have great quotes in here of
our Founders and American Presidents who talk about the strength of
this country that has come from immigrants and immigration, and I
wholeheartedly concur.
As we get to page 4, though, I have significant disagreement. I would
note that on page 4 on the whereas, it is noted that ``Trump's racist
comments have legitimized fear and hatred of new Americans,'' and I
just want to make a point to my friends across the aisl because in
paragraph 2 you note that it is committed to keeping America open to
those who lawfully seek refuge and asylum from violence and oppression.
Lawfully seek refuge and asylum.
But I would note that, just recently, President Trump has said those
who have sought asylum, had a hearing, and have a deportation order,
you all are offended by that. You didn't include in your resolution
those who had deportation orders issued, your opposition to them being
removed. So you actually agree with us and President Trump that those
who have lawful orders of deportation should be sent out of the
country, just to cite your resolution.
But I want to note, Mr. Speaker, that I have looked closely at the
chain of three tweets sent out by President Trump, and in those tweets
I see nothing that references anybody's race, not a thing. I don't see
anyone's name being referenced in the tweets.
But the President is referring to people--Congresswomen--who are
anti-American. And lo and behold, everybody in this Chamber knows who
he is talking about. Who are the anti-American Members of Congress? He
didn't say their names. He did not say their race, but he commented on
how they view America. And we all know who he was talking about.
I want immigrants to come to this country, but if you come to this
country, shouldn't you love this country? We all come here and see
imperfection, and we work every week trying to make our country better,
but to say I wholeheartedly dislike the country, the fact that I am
going to call the President an mf'er, good Lord, what has the
institution become?
And then to come to this floor and chastise the President for a
couple of tweets, when that is the language we use against him?
That is rich, Mr. Speaker, that that is the language that the left
would use and then try to call out the President who didn't cite a race
or he didn't cite a name.
I look at this, and I think we are all called to do better and be
better. We
[[Page H5851]]
should make this country better. But when I look at some who say I
believe that socialism is a purer form of government and a better
economic economy over capitalism that has given us the freest, most
generous, most prosperous country that has ever existed on the face of
the Earth, and we want to trade this in for a system that has always
failed?
I think you are going to see Republicans push back against that, and
I think many Democrats will push back against that, and I think that is
what this argument really comes down to.
And one other note, I look at some of my conservatives like Candace
Owens, Diamond and Silk, Justice Thomas--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) is recognized.
Let me again say, please direct your comments to the Chair.
Parliamentary Inquiry
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state her parliamentary
inquiry.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, my inquiry is this. My colleague across the
aisle just referred to Members of Congress as ``anti-American.'' I
believe that those words are defamatory, and I would like to ask
whether that is appropriate for a request for the gentleman to take
down his words.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will not issue an advisory
opinion. I have directed both sides to please address the Chair, number
one; and number two, I ask that Members refrain from engaging in any
personality-based remarks. So the Chair is not going to issue an
advisory opinion at this point.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, so a Member can say that other Members of
Congress are anti-American and no resolution for that? We would like to
ask the gentleman to take down his words.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentlewoman making a demand that the
words be taken down?
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, yes, I am asking that the gentleman's words
be taken down.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In order for the words to be taken down, the
objection has to be contemporaneous to the remarks.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I was trying to get the attention.
Mr. Speaker, I will relinquish the point, but I just want to remind
my colleagues that that is completely inappropriate to tell any of us
that we are anti-American.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Let me just say, if the violation occurs
again, I will interrupt mid-sentence.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank
him for his leadership in so many ways in this Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Malinowski and Mr. Raskin for bringing
this important resolution to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I come to this floor prayerfully. It is really very sad.
It was interesting to me--and I spoke out about this--that on Sunday in
Catholic Masses, and I don't know beyond that, that the gospel of the
day was the gospel of the Good Samaritan. A person asked Jesus, ``What
do I have to do to enter the kingdom of Heaven?''
And Christ replied, ``Love thy neighbor as thyself. Show mercy.''
That very same day he went on to talk and then he said, ``Well, how do
I do this?''
And Jesus gave him the example of the Good Samaritan. Everyone is
familiar with how a stranger helped another stranger, a foreigner
helped another foreigner, the Good Samaritan. Love thy neighbor as
thyself, show mercy.
{time} 1500
On that very same day, coincidentally, ironically, sadly, whatever
adverb you want to use, the President was instituting raids into the
homes of families.
I went to Spanish mass this weekend and saw the dignity of those
families, the beauty of the children, and the fear that the President
had struck in their hearts, as we were listening to the Gospel of the
Good Samaritan to show mercy and love thy neighbor as thyself. That
very same day, unfortunately, there were those who were not informed by
that Gospel.
So here we are later in that day, it was stunning to hear the words
that were used, go home, to some of our colleagues, the same words that
were used to so many people in our country whether because they weren't
born here or because they didn't look like some others here: Go home.
As annoyed and as insulted as we all should be about the President
saying that about our colleagues, it is also not showing mercy for him
to say that about so many people in our country, as he wants to split
up families.
So, Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Malinowski and Mr. Raskin for the
opportunity to speak to the statements that the President made later in
the day of the Gospel of the Good Samaritan: Mr. Malinowski, who was
born abroad; Mr. Raskin for his firm leadership in advancing this
important resolution.
The House hopefully has come together standing as one to denounce the
White House's xenophobic attacks on our Members, on our people, and to
defend the values of America.
And what is America? America is many things: the land of a great
Constitution, which is under threat; a beautiful land that God has
given us, which is being degraded; values that we share that are being
undermined. But America is also a Nation largely, but not totally,
largely of immigrants.
As this resolution so beautifully states, `` . . . the Founders
conceived America as a haven for refuge for people fleeing from
religious and political persecution, and Thomas Jefferson, Alexander
Hamilton, and James Madison all emphasized that the Nation gained as it
attracted new people in search of freedom and livelihood for their
families.''
The resolution quotes our most iconic Presidents, who all recognized
that immigrants are the constant reinvigoration of America, of hope,
determination, optimism, and courage to make the future better.
Those are American values. Those are American traits: hope, optimism,
courage. Many of these immigrants, when they come here with those
values and those traits, make America more American.
Franklin Roosevelt said: ``Remember always that all of us, and you
and I especially, are descended from immigrants.''
President John F. Kennedy wrote that: ``The contribution of
immigrants can be seen in every aspect of our national life.''
President Ronald Reagan so beautifully in his last speech as
President of the United States, which is quoted in this resolution,
said: ``If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in
the world would soon be lost.''
Yet, the President's comments about our colleagues this weekend
showed that he does not share those American values. These comments
from the White House are disgraceful and disgusting, and the comments
are racist. How shameful to hear him continue to defend those offensive
words, words that we have all heard him repeat not only about our
Members, but about countless others.
Our caucus will continue to forcefully respond to those attacks on
our Members, which reflect a fundamental disrespect for the beautiful
diversity of America. There is no place anywhere for the President's
words, which are not only divisive, but dangerous, and have legitimized
and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color.
It is so sad, because you would think that there would be a given
that we would universally in this body just say, of course. And there
is no excuse for any response to those words but a swift and strong,
unified condemnation.
Every single Member of this institution, Democratic and Republican,
should join us in condemning the President's racist tweets. To do
anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a
shameful abdication of our oath of office.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, point of order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will suspend.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Point of order.
Ms. PELOSI. To protect the American people, I urge a unanimous vote.
[[Page H5852]]
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I was just going to ask the
gentle Speaker of the House if she would like to rephrase that comment.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I cleared my remarks with the
Parliamentarian before I read them.
Point of Order
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order the
gentlewoman's words are unparliamentary and request that the words be
taken down.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all Members please do
not make personality-based comments.
The gentleman from Georgia is recognized.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I made a point of order that the
gentlewoman's words were unparliamentary and request they be taken
down.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman making a demand that the
words be taken down?
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I request that the gentlewoman's
words are unparliamentary and request that they be taken down.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All Members will suspend.
The Clerk will report the words.
{time} 1625
The Clerk read as follows:
Every single Member of this institution, Democratic and
Republican, should join us in condemning the President's
racist tweets. To do anything less would be a shocking
rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oath
of office.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is ready to make a statement.
I came in here to try to do this in a fair way. I kept warning both
sides--``let's not do this''--hoping we could get through.
Ms. Jayapal had a situation where we could be in here on another
motion to take down words of a friend of mine. But we don't ever, ever
want to pass up, it seems, an opportunity to escalate, and that is what
this is.
I dare anybody to look at any of the footage and see if there was any
unfairness. But unfairness is not enough, because we want to just
fight.
I abandon the Chair.
{time} 1645
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hoyer). The Chair is prepared to rule.
The words of the gentlewoman from California contain an accusation of
racist behavior on the part of the President.
As memorialized in Deschler-Brown Precedents, chapter 29, section
65.6, characterizing an action as racist is not in order. The Chair
relies on the precedent of May 15, 1984, and finds that the words
should not be used in debate.
Motion Offered by Mr. Collins of Georgia
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia moves that the words of the
gentlewoman from California be stricken from the Record.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
July 16, 2019, on page H5852, the following appeared: Mr.
COLLINS of Georgia moves that the words of the gentlewoman from
California be stricken from the Record.
The online version has been corrected to show the text set at 7
pt.
========================= END NOTE =========================
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 190,
nays 232, not voting 10, as follows:
[Roll No. 480]
YEAS--190
Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bergman
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Bost
Brady
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Cole
Collins (GA)
Comer
Conaway
Cook
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson (OH)
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan
Dunn
Emmer
Estes
Ferguson
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flores
Fortenberry
Foxx (NC)
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Gianforte
Gibbs
Gonzalez (OH)
Gooden
Gosar
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hagedorn
Harris
Hartzler
Hern, Kevin
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill (AR)
Holding
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
Lesko
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Marshall
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meadows
Meuser
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Newhouse
Norman
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Posey
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Riggleman
Roby
Rodgers (WA)
Roe, David P.
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rooney (FL)
Rose, John W.
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Shimkus
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spano
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Stivers
Taylor
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Timmons
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Waltz
Watkins
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Wright
Yoho
Young
Zeldin
NAYS--232
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Amash
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brindisi
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Cummings
Cunningham
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Engel
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Finkenauer
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez (TX)
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Haaland
Harder (CA)
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Higgins (NY)
Hill (CA)
Himes
Horn, Kendra S.
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan
Luria
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rose (NY)
Rouda
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Spanberger
Speier
Stanton
Stevens
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Van Drew
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--10
Biggs
Burgess
Collins (NY)
Gohmert
Granger
Lynch
Marchant
Peterson
Soto
Williams
{time} 1727
Ms. HAALAND and Mr. GOTTHEIMER changed their vote from ``yea'' to
``nay.''
Mr. CRAWFORD changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Motion Offered by Mr. Nadler
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I move that the gentlewoman from California
[[Page H5853]]
(Ms. Pelosi) be permitted to proceed in order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kildee). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this will
be a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 231,
noes 190, not voting 11, as follows:
[Roll No. 481]
AYES--231
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brindisi
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Cummings
Cunningham
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Engel
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Finkenauer
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez (TX)
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Haaland
Harder (CA)
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Higgins (NY)
Hill (CA)
Himes
Horn, Kendra S.
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rose (NY)
Rouda
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Spanberger
Speier
Stanton
Stevens
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Van Drew
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOES--190
Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amash
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bergman
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Bost
Brady
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Cole
Collins (GA)
Comer
Conaway
Cook
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson (OH)
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan
Dunn
Emmer
Estes
Ferguson
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flores
Fortenberry
Foxx (NC)
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Gianforte
Gibbs
Gonzalez (OH)
Gooden
Gosar
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hagedorn
Harris
Hartzler
Hern, Kevin
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill (AR)
Holding
Hollingsworth
Huizenga
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
Lesko
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Marshall
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meadows
Meuser
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Newhouse
Norman
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Posey
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Riggleman
Roby
Rodgers (WA)
Roe, David P.
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rooney (FL)
Rose, John W.
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Shimkus
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spano
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Stivers
Taylor
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Timmons
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Waltz
Watkins
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Wright
Yoho
Young
Zeldin
NOT VOTING--11
Biggs
Burgess
Collins (NY)
Davis, Danny K.
Gohmert
Granger
Hudson
Marchant
Peterson
Soto
Williams
{time} 1748
So the motion was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will be allowed to proceed
in order.
The Chair announces the remaining time in debate. The gentleman from
Georgia has 9\1/4\ minutes remaining.
Without objection, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee)
controls the time and has 19 minutes remaining.
There was no objection
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia is recognized.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the minority leader.
Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, on page 1 of the original Thomas
Jefferson Manual of Parliamentary Practice he writes that: ``It is very
material that order, decency, and regularity be preserved in a
dignified public body.''
Now, we all have the awesome privilege of serving in that dignified
public body: this, the people's House. Our American democracy and its
institutions are looked up to as an example for the entire world.
Jefferson's emphasis on order and decency is just as important today is
it was more than 200 years ago.
Unfortunately, that was not the case today.
Madam Speaker, today is a day that historians will write about. It is
a sad day for this House, the people's House. Our rules of order and
decency were broken today, and worse, the House just voted to condone
this violation of decorum.
Madam Speaker, I know there is frustration in this body. But it is
our duty to focus not on retribution but on building a more perfect
union.
We can be doing so much more, and we should be doing so much better.
Madam Speaker, I would ask that all Members take it upon themselves
to uphold the dignity of this institution. Let us preserve and promote
those ideals of order and decency that this body was founded upon and
that this body will need if we are to address the many challenges
facing our Nation.
Madam Speaker, it is not just our Nation that is watching; the world
is watching us. I hope we can rise to the occasion.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Bass), who is a distinguished member of the
Judiciary Committee.
Ms. BASS. Madam Speaker, the world is watching, and the world is in
shock.
Today I rise to speak in support of this resolution condemning the
hateful rhetoric of Donald Trump. His comments were beneath the dignity
of the Office of President of the United States, and they have no place
in our country.
My four colleagues he attacked have every right to be in the United
States. They are just as American as any one of us, and it is shameful
that the leader of our country would seek to disparage them for
political gain. But the sad truth is that if we were to pass a
resolution every time Donald Trump were to say something offensive,
little else would happen in Congress.
For that reason this moment has to be about much more than condemning
[[Page H5854]]
Donald Trump. This moment has to be about moving our country back
toward its best values and ensuring that every American, regardless of
origin, race, or sex, has an opportunity to succeed.
The American people want to see us fighting for jobs, healthcare,
free elections, and policies that recognize the humanity of all who
seek refuge in our Nation.
As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I remember when the
President said to Black America: What do you have to lose?
When the leader of this Nation attacks two of our Members--two of the
four women are members of the Congressional Black Caucus--what we have
lost is a President who has dignity.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. DeGette). The time of the gentlewoman
has expired.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from
California an additional 15 seconds.
Ms. BASS. Someone who has the capacity to bring our country together
is what we have lost. But even for this President, this is a new low:
using rhetoric against someone of a different race based on the belief
that one's race is superior. Since the President will not lead, we
must.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will--in case anybody forgot--
remind everyone in this House on both sides of the aisle that the rules
will be strictly enforced for the remainder of this debate. Members are
advised to think closely about their words particularly when referring
to personalities.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who is the distinguished Democratic chair
of the Democratic Caucus of the House.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, our diversity is a strength; it is not a
weakness. We are a nation of immigrants, some voluntary, others
involuntary, but as Dr. King once observed, ``We may have all come on
different ships, but we're in the same boat now.''
We are a gorgeous mosaic of people from throughout the world. We are
White, we are Black, we are Latino, we are Asian, and we are Native
American. We are Christian, we are Jewish, we are Muslim, we are Hindu,
we are believers, and we are nonbelievers. We are gay, we are straight,
we are young, we are older, we are women, and we are men. We are
citizens, and we are Dreamers.
Out of many we are one. That is what makes America a great country.
No matter what xenophobic behavior is coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue, we will never let anyone take that away from us--not now, not
ever.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, we have an opportunity
today to condemn or condone. Birtherism is racist. Saying a Mexican
judge can't be fair because of his heritage is racist. Saying
immigrants from Mexico are rapists is racist. Saying there were good
people on both sides in Charlottesville is racist. Calling African
countries * * * countries is racist, and telling four Members of this
body to go home is racist.
point of order
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, point of order.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
July 16, 2019, on page H5854, the following appeared: Calling
African countries * * * countries is racist, and telling four
Members of this body to go home is racist. Mr. COLLINS of Georgia.
Madam Speaker, point of order.
The online version has been corrected to read as follows with a
small cap title inserted in the proper position in debate: Calling
African countries * * * countries is racist, and telling four
Members of this body to go home is racist. POINT OF ORDER Mr.
COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, point of order.
========================= END NOTE =========================
Madam Speaker, I move to take down words.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Do you think it is not racist?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his point of order.
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Do you think it is not racist, Mr.
Collins?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Is that what you are saying right now,
Mr. Collins?
Mr. Collins, is it not racist to say these things?
Because you can say that right now.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California is out of
order.
The gentleman from California shall suspend.
For what purpose does the gentleman from Georgia rise?
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I make a point of order that
the gentleman's words are unparliamentary, and I insist they be taken
down.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the words.
{time} 1800
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, I will withdraw an
offensive word.
Madam Speaker, may I have an additional 30 seconds?
Ms. JACKSON LEE. The gentleman from California has 30 seconds.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Texas controls the
time. The gentleman has 30 seconds remaining. Does the gentlewoman wish
to grant him an additional 30 seconds?
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to
the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I now withdraw my point of
order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia withdraws his
point of order.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, we have an opportunity
today to condemn or condone.
Birtherism is racist.
Saying a Mexican judge cannot be fair because of his heritage is
racist.
Saying immigrants from Mexico are rapists is racist.
Telling four Members of this body to go home because of where you
believe they are from is racist.
There is racism coming out of the White House. There is racism coming
out of the White House. So where will you stand today?
That is the question we face: Where will we stand? Will we stop and
extinguish the flames of racism from the White House or will we
continue to fan them?
History and our children are watching.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).
Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, the last vote that we just saw on the
House floor is beneath the dignity of the House.
We have rules for a reason. Just because one party is in the
majority, Madam Speaker, doesn't mean that the rules don't apply to
them. The rules apply to all of us. Just as we are passing laws here,
that ought to apply to all people fairly across this country. The
reason we have these rules is so that we can rise above the fray.
We have disagreements on this floor. What is great about this country
is we have the ability to come and battle over the disagreements, but
we shouldn't get into personality conflicts on this floor. We shouldn't
be trying to accuse people of one thing or another, disparagingly, on
this floor.
That is why we have these rules, so that we can actually debate the
issues that people care about rather than engaging in this constant
barrage of personality attacks that we have seen week after week after
week.
The American people expect us to be spending our time up here
fighting for the issues they care about. They want us to be spending
time focusing on lowering their prescription drug prices, lowering
healthcare prices, rather than this foolishness. They want us to be
solving the crisis at the border, not ignoring it, not disparaging it,
but actually focusing on solving it.
These are easy issues for us to solve if we come together and spend
real time in good faith working on them, rather than this foolishness.
Look at all of the other problems that our country faces, that people
call on us to address. They expect that we are spending our time up
here focusing on those problems, getting our economy back on track like
it is now. It took people working together, and it is working.
We can do more.
Fighting the evils across this world, when you look at what Russia is
doing, when you look at what Iran is doing, when you look at what China
is doing, us to be coming together, standing up and working on those
problems for the people who sent us here, not worried about ourselves,
not fighting amongst
[[Page H5855]]
ourselves, but actually focusing on their problems, that is why we are
supposed to be up here. That is why the rules of the House should apply
to all people, not just selectively to some.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu).
Mr. TED LIEU of California. Madam Speaker, I am an immigrant; I am a
person of faith; and I served on Active Duty in the United States
military because I love America.
Yet, throughout my life, I have had people tell me to go back to
China or Japan or North Korea. And like many immigrants, when I get
that ``go back'' insult, it is hateful. It makes me feel like I don't
belong here in this country.
And make no mistake, when people tell me to go back where I came
from, that is a racist insult that is based on race. If I were White,
they would not tell me to go back to China. I experience that insult
because my race happens to be Asian.
But the good news is that Americans, at record high levels, support
immigrants. We are not going anywhere. America is our home. And I will
still be standing here long after the occupant of the White House
leaves.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all persons in the
gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any
manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation
of the rules of the House.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentlewoman from Washington State (Ms. Jayapal).
Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, I am appalled at the statements coming
from the White House telling people who dissent that somehow you should
go back to your country if you criticize the United States. Well, let
me remind you that dissent is patriotic and, in fact, a core value to
our democracy, enshrined in our Constitution.
And, yes, I am a proud naturalized citizen born in India, a proud
patriot, a proud person who belongs in this country.
And it is not the first time I have heard, ``go back to your own
country,'' but it is the first time I have heard it coming from the
White House. And, frankly, Madam Speaker, I am appalled that, on this
floor, my Republican colleagues would call any of us anti-American.
That is why this vote is so important, because we have to let the
rest of the country know that the House of Representatives will stand
up for the Constitution, represent and defend every single person in
the country, regardless of the color of their skin or the country of
their birth.
Madam Speaker, my Republican colleagues have been talking about
patriotism, about love of country. One of them said ``love it or leave
it.'' But what is love if not to make what we love better through our
critique, our work, and our service. That is what real Americans do.
We do not stifle dissent. We do not otherize or sow hatred, and we
certainly never say ``go back to your country'' to a brown or a Black
person, because that is a racist trope.
I hope that every single Member of this Chamber, Republican and
Democrat, will join me in rejecting the President's message and vote in
support of this resolution. Madam Speaker, that is the American thing
to do.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean).
Ms. DEAN. Madam Speaker, words matter. Decency matters.
Recently, President Trump told four Congresswomen of color to ``go
back'' to their home countries.
Mr. President, they are home.
Three of these Congresswomen, my colleagues, were born in the United
States. The fourth, also my colleague, is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
They are as American as I am, as the President is, as the First Lady is
or anyone else, period.
Telling people who look different to go back to where they came from
is a refrain laced with hate. This rhetoric is neither new nor a
surprise, but that doesn't mean we can allow it to stand. And it belies
a fundamental misunderstanding of our Nation's promise, that we are all
created equal and that everyone has a role to play in building a more
perfect Union--not just White Americans, every American.
We hereby recognize these words for what they are: offensive,
hateful. And the people we represent deserve better.
As a cosponsor, I believe we must call out hate wherever we see it,
whether in our own houses or in the White House.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the resolution. Words
matter.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
Mr. LEWIS. Madam Speaker, I rise with a sense of righteous
indignation to support this resolution.
I know racism when I see it. I know racism when I feel it. And at the
highest level of government, there is no room for racism. It sows the
seeds of violence and destroys the hopes and dreams of people.
The world is watching. They are shocked and dismayed because it seems
we have lost our way as a nation, as a proud and great people. We are
one Congress, and we are here to serve one House: the American House,
the American people.
Some of us have been victims of the stain, the pain, and the hurt of
racism. In the 1950s and during the 1960s, segregationists told us to
go back when we protested for our rights. They told ministers, priests,
rabbis, and nuns to go back. They told the innocent little children
seeking just an equal education to go back.
As a nation and as a people, we need to go forward and not backwards.
With this vote, we stand with our sisters. Three were born in
America, and one came here looking for a better life.
With this vote, we meet our moral obligations to condemn hate,
racism, and bigotry in every form.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time.
Let's do what is right, what is fair, and what is just.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).
Mr. RYAN. Madam Speaker, ``we the people,'' ``a more perfect Union,''
``the common defense,'' ``general welfare,'' ``common good,'' ``these
United States''--the words and phrases of our founding documents were
about unity, were about us coming together against the political and
economic concentration of power.
Division is the enemy in the United States today. We are unraveling
before the very eyes of the American people. And I believe that this
President, that the White House does not want to talk about the issues
facing the American people today.
Madam Speaker, 75 percent of the American people are living paycheck
to paycheck; seniors are paying $1,000 a month for prescription drugs;
students are drowning in student loans.
{time} 1815
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of
my time.
Madam Speaker, I will not belabor this. I have made many of the
points that I have said before. I think this was rushed to the floor. I
think this is what happens, unfortunately, when things are rushed.
There are things that need to be done, and the decorum of this House
is important. We have had a long lesson of that today.
The very essence of the resolution, which has issues beyond, needs to
be considered. When we do this, then I think, as I said in my opening--
and I will stick by what I said then--this needs to be voted down. This
does not need to go forward.
We need to get to a certain time when we are back to, literally,
doing the people's business. This is the third time, Madam Speaker,
that I have been on the floor doing this--third time--more time than I
have done on immigration, more time than I have done on any other
bills, bills that could actually get signed into law.
[[Page H5856]]
As my whip said a few moments ago, there are things we could sit down
and find common ground on, but it seems like common ground is gone.
There are some of us willing to reach our hands across the aisle and
say, ``Let's find common ground because people are hurting. Why don't
we solve those?'' Instead, we continue, seemingly, to want to continue
to go to the press release or to the political statement, which is
frustrating. I understand, but we have to get better.
We have to look at this and ask: What happens to the American people?
What happens to the people who sent us here, who are looking at this
and asking what they need to do to make their lives better, not the
lives in this body?
When we understand that, that is when we come together. That is when
we take the decorum of this House. That is when we find ways to speak
to each other as friends who have been elected to serve a common
purpose. That is our higher aim. When we denigrate that, we are not
being honest with ourselves.
Let's get to the people's business. There are budget issues looming.
There are caps looming. There is a debt ceiling looming. There are
still problems at our border, which is a crisis. These need to be
fixed.
Let's take up those bills. Let's have honest debate. I will put a
bill up; you put a bill up. Let's do what we are supposed to do here,
have markups, run things through committee. Let's take seriously what
we said to do.
We both, at times, as parties, have been guilty of not doing that.
Let's focus now--at least where we are now--and say this is not the way
forward and this is not where we need to be because of the many
problems inherent in the resolution itself but, also, the way it was
brought to us. We have seen that play out on the floor today.
Is that really how we are going to leave it with the American people,
that rules can be broken and then nothing is done about it? Is that
really where we are going to be, that we are not going to bring issues
to the floor that can be discussed, that have been brought through
committee, that actually affect people's lives?
That is the frustration I have, Madam Speaker.
Time for debate on this needs to be done. We need to vote ``no.'' We
need to move forward.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the way to move forward is by voting ``yes'' on the
underlying resolution.
To paraphrase the Declaration of Independence, it is indicated that
we all are created equal, with certain unalienable rights of life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
That is immigrant and nonimmigrant. That is an individual whose
religion you believe in and one you do not. That is a lifestyle that
you may not know and understand. It may be a race or ethnicity that you
have never come to be able to accept.
In this Nation, the founding Thirteen Colonies fleeing persecution
were described as creating an experiment. It was not a perfect
experiment.
There were some of us who came to this Nation in the bottom of the
belly of a slave boat. There were some who were indentured servants.
Many came by boat. Some walked across a border that has created havoc.
But they were people desperate for freedom and the right to make their
lives better.
We can account for those people by the history books and the decades
of heroes and sheroes who have come in a different skin, a different
religion, a different basis. They have even put on the uniform of this
Nation because they love this country.
I am reminded of the era of Dr. Martin Luther King, the many miles he
walked with the soldiers, the Civil Rights soldiers, and his early book
titled ``Why We Can't Wait.''
I join with the idea that we must work for the American people. We
must provide for the increase in the minimum wage, good healthcare, and
education.
At the same time, there is something in this Nation that our children
demand that we do. What are the values of the red, white, and blue?
What are the values of those stars that represent the many States of
this Nation? The values are that we are a Nation based upon laws,
morality, values, a love of country, due process, equality, and
justice. It means that every single person must have the fundamental
right of respect.
This resolution is simply that. It is a fundamental right to respect
and dignity--in this instance, for four Members of the United States
Congress from Boston, from New York, from Minnesota, and from Michigan.
As they go on to their places, it is very clear that they must have
the respect that is deserving of this particular Congress.
These four women are no less deserving of dignity than anyone else.
This resolution is simply one that is to seek--not condoning, as was
said--a condemnation of attitudes that may parlay racist beliefs.
No one stands for that. We cannot go on to all that is good without
saying to the Nation and the world that this is not good; it is not
America; and we will not accept that as our definition because we do
believe in the creation of a more perfect Union.
I conclude by saying that we condemn the hurtful and offensive
comments that demean immigrants and people of color, especially if
those comments originate from the White House. What we will do today is
accept the challenge of Dr. Martin Luther King, a peacemaker, a man of
hope, and we will say why we can't wait because the Nation calls upon
our higher angels.
That is what we will do when we affirm this resolution on behalf of
the people of the United States of America.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote for this very important
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, with this resolution, the
House continues the fight for equality and dignity for every person.
It's not important to us where you came from. It only matters that
you're here now.
Sin embargo vamos a luchar por la igualidad y la dignidad de cada
persona.
No es importante para nosotros de donde vienes. Solo nos importa que
estes aqui ahora.
When I was Harris County Commissioner, I was told, ``Go back to
Mexico and crawl back under the rock you came from.''
When we were debating the anti-immigrant racial profiling bill SB 4
in the Texas Senate, I received a call. ``I've got guns. Lots of
guns,'' the man said. But this credible death threat didn't stop us.
An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us as Americans.
Un ataque contra uno es un ataque contra todos como Americanos.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise to condemn the racist statements
made by the president of the United States against my colleagues here
in Congress.
Our nation is a beacon of hope to the world, a nation where people
arrive with the goal of embracing the American dream. They and their
children make vital economic, educational, civic, and social
contributions to the American fabric--they become business owners,
doctors, and even members of Congress. It is clear that the diversity
that this country provides is not our problem, it is our promise.
Although the president has indicated that there are ``many people
[who] agree with'' his comments, I, and many Americans, were
disappointed that the individual who acts as our representative on the
world stage would share these racist sentiments. I have confidence that
the beliefs reflected in the president's statements are not held by the
American people as a whole and do not reflect who we are as a nation.
This country has endured too many obstacles and undergone too many
lessons learned to accept these offensive statements. We have endured
slavery, forced displacement, Jim Crow laws, and internment camps. We
are still working to fight against redlining, voter intimidation, hate
crimes, and mass incarceration. Our country deserves better than this.
The world deserves better than this.
Americans yearn for a day when we are not fighting each other but are
fighting towards a common mission to continually improve our great
nation as the United States of America.
This is why my colleagues and I are committed to fulfilling this
agenda. We are working to lower drug prices, we are working to restore
voting rights for every American, we are working to eliminate the
opioid epidemic, and we are committed to ensuring that we find
solutions to the problems in our criminal justice system.
Let me be clear, these words should have no place in the dialogue of
our United States of America.
That is why I am a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 489, a resolution
condemning President
[[Page H5857]]
Trump's racist remarks against my colleagues who have dedicated their
lives to public service and representing the constituents of their home
districts.
I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and
condemning the president for these incendiary comments.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 491, the previous question is ordered on
the resolution and the preamble.
The question is on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 240,
noes 187, not voting 6, as follows:
[Roll No. 482]
AYES--240
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Amash
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brindisi
Brooks (IN)
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Cummings
Cunningham
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Engel
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Finkenauer
Fitzpatrick
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez (TX)
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Haaland
Harder (CA)
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Higgins (NY)
Hill (CA)
Himes
Horn, Kendra S.
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Hurd (TX)
Jackson Lee
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rose (NY)
Rouda
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stanton
Stevens
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Upton
Van Drew
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOES--187
Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bergman
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Bost
Brady
Brooks (AL)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comer
Conaway
Cook
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson (OH)
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan
Dunn
Emmer
Estes
Ferguson
Fleischmann
Flores
Fortenberry
Foxx (NC)
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Gianforte
Gibbs
Gonzalez (OH)
Gooden
Gosar
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hagedorn
Harris
Hartzler
Hern, Kevin
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill (AR)
Holding
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunter
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
Lesko
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Marshall
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meadows
Meuser
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Newhouse
Norman
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Posey
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Riggleman
Roby
Rodgers (WA)
Roe, David P.
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rooney (FL)
Rose, John W.
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Shimkus
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spano
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Stivers
Taylor
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Timmons
Tipton
Turner
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Waltz
Watkins
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Wright
Yoho
Young
Zeldin
NOT VOTING--6
Biggs
Burgess
Gohmert
Granger
Marchant
Williams
{time} 1849
Mr. KING of New York changed his from ``aye'' to ``no.''
So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________