[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 157 (Friday, September 27, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H8074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    OPPOSING THE EXPANSION OF THE ALCANTARA LAUNCH CENTER IN BRAZIL

  (Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to 
the expansion of the Alcantara Launch Center in Brazil.
  This agreement between the Trump and Bolsonaro administrations 
threatens to displace hundreds of Afro-Brazilian quilombo families from 
their land, further disparaging an already marginalized community.
  Brazil's Constitution provides explicit protections for quilombo 
lands, and Trump and Bolsonaro are blatantly disregarding these 
protections with this land grab.
  Previous expansions of this military base have displaced over 300 
families. The expansion of that base on quilombo land will displace 
some additional 800 quilombo families from their constitutionally 
protected ancestral land.
  I appreciate America's longstanding relationship with Brazil; 
however, I cannot support policies that dehumanize native people and 
bring harm to vulnerable communities in Brazil.
  Madam Speaker, I oppose this agreement, and I urge my colleagues to 
do the same.

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