[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 159 (Tuesday, September 15, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4423-H4426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PROTECTING AMERICA'S VALUES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Roy) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Arrington) for organizing this Special Order to talk about such an 
important topic.
  Mr. Speaker, I have some things that I am going to talk about as 
well, but I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time, and I thank my friend 
from Texas for giving me this opportunity.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the timeless American principles 
of freedom, equality, and opportunity. These principles are the 
foundation on which our Nation was built, an idea that all men are 
created equal and have certain unalienable rights given by our creator.
  You can come to America and be free to pursue your dreams and be 
equal to your peers in the eyes of the law.
  There are some people who believe that socialism is a better tool to 
achieve the American Dream. Using history as a guide, we know that this 
is wrong.
  Our Constitution is special because it limits the power of government 
while safeguarding our freedoms and our civil rights.
  As we strive to make this country better, let us remember the 
selfless Americans who throughout our history have struggled, fought, 
and died in the hopes of creating a more perfect union.
  I will fight to keep America as the shining light on the hill.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Arrington).
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, we have one more defender of America's 
values, and he is a constitutional scholar and attorney, but he also is 
the leader of the largest conservative caucus in the Republican 
Conference and a dear friend of us all. We are grateful for his time, 
Mr.   Mike Johnson from the great State of Louisiana.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Johnson).
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I give thanks to both the 
gentlemen from Texas for organizing this Special Order tonight, to all 
of our colleagues who have spoken tonight, and to my dear friend 
Congressman Baird for all that he has given for his country. The words 
that he shared he means from his heart, and he has shown and proven 
that.
  We organized this Special Order to talk about protecting America's 
values and protecting our communities.
  There is a lot of outrage. There is a lot of alarm in the country 
today. And it is justified.
  It was just a couple of days ago, of course, in Los Angeles where two 
sheriff's deputies, a 24-year-old man and a 31-year-old young mother, 
were brutally attacked as they just sat in their police cruiser.
  As they were rushed to the hospital, protesters were blocking the 
entrances and exits to the emergency room, chanting: ``We hope they 
die. Kill the police.''
  It is outrageous. It is alarming.
  This is just the latest example, of course, of the violence and 
vitriol

[[Page H4424]]

going largely ignored by the Democrat majority in the House. 
Unfortunately, it is the predictable result of what happens when 
leaders make radical calls to defund the police.
  We have widespread unrest in major cities across this country right 
now. We have violent riots and businesses being destroyed and law 
enforcement officers being targets of heinous crimes, things that would 
have been unthinkable even a couple of years ago.
  In Portland, we have leftwing groups that set a police station on 
fire, besieged a Federal courthouse for weeks on end.
  In Seattle, leftwing activists created an autonomous zone, they said. 
They evicted police and occupied the abandoned precinct.
  In Chicago, 31 police officers were injured in riots that occurred in 
July and August.
  In Minnesota and Wisconsin, rioters exploited peaceful protests as a 
vehicle to incite violence and create chaos.
  Here in the Nation's Capital just up the street, leftwing groups 
staged a mock execution of the President of the United States and then 
harassed people as they left the White House.
  The economic fallout from all this, of course, will be disastrous. 
The human toll will take generations to recover.
  We have seen reports from minority-owned small businesses, for 
example, in these communities where a person has worked their entire 
life just to build a business, to build a legacy to pass along to their 
children and grandchildren, all to have it go up in flames because 
their city leadership refused to preserve law and order.
  We have seen the President's actions, and we know that he is doing 
all that he possibly can to restore order in these cities. But, of 
course, he is being rebuffed by these leftwing mayors at every turn.
  I mean, the Portland mayor has rejected offers of Federal assistance 
multiple times. The rioters who are actually arrested by local police 
are simply released by the district attorney so they can just return 
again to create chaos the next evening.
  Despite this stonewalling, Attorney General Barr is doing his job. 
Secretary Wolf is doing his job. They have been able to secure the 
arrest of dozens of bad actors, but we all know this is just the tip of 
the iceberg.
  The question remains, what do we in Congress begin to do to tackle 
this issue?
  I would suggest that my friends on the other side can start right 
here in this building by at least first acknowledging that there is a 
problem. I mean, it doesn't seem too much to ask to denounce the 
violence that is plaguing so many parts of the country.
  Mr. Speaker, you could imagine our dismay in the House Judiciary 
Committee when we heard our chairman call the Antifa violence in 
Portland a ``myth.''

  I mean, he contends that all this chaos and destruction is merely a 
figment of our imagination. One month after the chairman made those 
remarks, a self-proclaimed Antifa member murdered a Trump rally 
participant in Portland in cold blood.
  We have been calling for weeks for the chairman to hold hearings in 
the Judiciary Committee to look into this widespread violence. We in 
the Judiciary Committee are uniquely situated, because of our 
jurisdiction, to dive into this crisis of leftwing violence and 
formulate policy solutions that will protect the life and property of 
all Americans. But the chairman would rather sweep things under the rug 
and brush it off as a mere myth.
  The Democrat silence and dismissiveness have turned into a real life-
or-death situation for millions of Americans now.
  I know our side is ready and willing to act. This is not just idle 
discussion tonight. We are not just standing up here talking about 
America's values and the need to protect our communities. We are ready 
to act.
  It is time to call out these leftwing groups for what they are, to 
denounce specifically the violence and the chaos they create, and to 
restore law and order for the American people. This action is our 
responsibility, and it is long overdue. We will keep pushing on this 
side of the aisle to make this happen.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time, and I appreciate 
what my friend stands for.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Johnson) for his heartfelt remarks about something that is such an 
important topic. I thank him for his steadfast commitment to the 
Constitution.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington) for 
arranging this earlier gathering where we could all join together in 
this important moment to talk about this.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like for those sitting at home to focus in on 
this number 43. This number 43, you want to know what this number 
represents? This number represents the number of law enforcement 
officers who have been killed thus far in 2020--43 law enforcement 
officers who have been killed thus far in 2020, over 40 percent more 
than in the same period in 2019.
  Eight were categorized as premeditated murder. Two were a victim of 
unprovoked attacks. Eight fatal shots were fired at pointblank range, 
zero to 5 feet from the officer; eight shot in the front of the head, 
two from the back of the head, six in the neck, nine in the chest.
  These are 43 law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in 
2020.
  Where is the NBA? Where is the NBA?
  Where is the Speaker of the House? That is what I want to know. Where 
is the Speaker of the House? Condemning 43 law enforcement officers who 
have been murdered.
  Are their names on the back of any jerseys, or is that just for 
preening and posturing by the true privileged who play sports for a 
living?
  These are real people.
  David Dorn died June 2 at 2:30 a.m. in the middle of the street after 
he was shot in the torso while attempting to protect a friend's 
pawnshop from suspected looters. Mr. Dorn had served 38 years in the 
St. Louis Police Department before retiring.
  David Patrick Underwood died from gunshot wounds after he was shot 
from a vehicle on May 29 in Oakland, California. He was working as a 
contract security officer for Federal Protective Services.
  According to authorities, the man charged in the murder of Mr. 
Underwood had specifically traveled to Oakland with the intent to kill 
police. He thought he could get away with it due to the large protest 
gatherings.
  Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller was investigating a suspect vehicle linked 
to this case when he, too, was killed after being ambushed with 
explosive devices and an assault rifle. He had served the Santa Cruz 
County community since 2006.
  Shay Mikalonis, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer, was 
seriously injured after being shot in the head while attempting to 
disperse protesters in June.
  This week--we have already alluded to it--two L.A. County sheriff's 
deputies were sitting in their vehicle when they were ambushed and 
shot, ambushed and shot in the streets of Los Angeles. The deputies, a 
31-year-old mother and a 24-year-old man, were transported to a local 
hospital. While fighting for their lives, a group of protestors arrived 
at the hospital and shouted: ``We hope they die.''
  This is what is happening on the streets of America right now, and it 
is being fomented by our so-called national leaders.
  Again, I would like to say, where is the people's House? Going out 
for a fundraiser? Having a nice dinner here in Washington, D.C., right 
now? Getting a steak dinner with somebody, patting each other on the 
back? Where are they?
  Mr. Speaker, do you hear the echo of my voice? It is echoing for a 
reason. This Chamber is empty, with the exception of one or two 
colleagues.
  Where is the Speaker? It is almost like that book, ``Where's Waldo?'' 
Where is the Speaker? Let's walk around Washington, D.C. Let's go try 
to find the Speaker because she sure as heck is not here right now on 
the floor of the House of Representatives leading this body. We are 
sure not having any votes right now. We are not having amendments. We 
are not having any debate.
  Forty-three. Forty-three dead law enforcement officers.

                              {time}  1900

  You know what else we are not focusing on? The businesses destroyed 
by riots and the businesses ravaged by

[[Page H4425]]

government shutdown in the face of a virus.
  As we talked about all these riots, I read with interest the story of 
93 percent peaceful, leaving 7 percent unpeaceful. All the headlines 
said 93 percent peaceful.
  Well, how about that 7 percent, including roughly 550 violent 
demonstrations across the county since June?
  Minneapolis Star Tribune: More than 360 businesses across Twin Cities 
vandalized, looted; 66 destroyed completely by fire. Property damage to 
more than 1,500 locations. Set fire to nearly 150 buildings.
  Insurance experts estimate the cost to be $500 million.
  Portland: $20 million in damage.
  How about some of these headlines? ``Riots, Arson Leave Minnesota 
Communities of Color Devastated.''
  Philadelphia, ``Philadelphia Black-Owned Businesses Damaged and 
Looted.''
  New York Times said: `` . . . businesses, already ailing from an 
outbreak of the coronavirus that has been particularly devastating to 
small and minority-owned business, may not recover.''
  FOX Milwaukee: ``Many Milwaukee businesses damaged by vandals during 
violent protests are minority owned.''
  Between May 25 and June 8, in the heat of a lot of these protests, at 
least 17 people were killed.
  What is the carnage in the Black community? I read a stat recently 
that upwards of 45 percent of Black-owned businesses have closed down 
since the beginning of the pandemic as we know it and during this time 
of civil unrest.
  Is the NBA wearing anybody's names who lost a business on their 
jersey? Are they painting any of their names on the floor while they 
make $20 million to play basketball, or $50 million? No, I don't see 
that.
  Why aren't we having a resolution here with 435 Members saying we 
stand up for law enforcement? That is not to say we can't have a 
vigorous debate about court-created qualified immunity.
  I am a conservative. I don't like courts creating law. I don't like 
that the court created qualified immunity and that is not as perfect as 
we could make it. But I believe there should be some level of immunity, 
so let's have that conversation. Let's debate it. Let's discuss it.
  Or I can just sit here and speak to an empty Chamber and have a 
speech that is on C-SPAN and then tweet it out, and then there will be 
some speeches and people will go out and then there will be an election 
in November.
  Let's be honest. We know that is what all this is about: posturing 
for a November election.
  Well, you know what? I could be out doing one of these dinners. We 
could be doing something. We are all in races. Or we could be right 
here doing our darn job, because that is what we should be doing. We 
should actually be having a debate in this Chamber. We never do that.
  We haven't had a vote on an open amendment on the floor of the House 
since May of 2016. That is both parties in control of this Chamber, by 
the way. That is absurd. It is facially absurd.
  We are a nation governed by a Rules Committee that throws bills on 
the floor and then says: Hey, you are going to vote on this with a gun 
to your head, and we are going to put whatever we can in there to make 
it a tough vote so that we can then run ads against you and then have a 
campaign in November.
  That is no way for a representative government to work.
  We make policy based on Twitter. We don't have legitimate hearings 
where we go through all of the information and make tough additions, 
roll our sleeves up. That is the way this body is supposed to work. It 
hasn't worked that way in a long time--either party in control, by the 
way.
  One day we might aspire for this body's approval rating to jump above 
20 percent. Wouldn't that be something? But why would you approve of 
this body? What do we ever do?
  Rhetorical question.
  I would actually like to ask the question: What do we actually do?
  We sure as heck don't pass appropriations bills that have any chance 
of being reasonable or financially prudent. $27 trillion of debt later, 
we are barreling toward $30 trillion. Everybody knows it. Our dollar is 
going to be devalued. Our economy is going to be weaker. Our kids are 
inheriting $30 trillion-plus of debt.
  What are we doing?
  The Speaker, leader in the Senate, Treasury Secretary, they are all 
meeting in rooms--I don't ever see any of this stuff till I read about 
it in the press--figuring out which number they are going to put in 
front of trillion for some deal.
  Why don't we start with a bill on the floor of this Chamber? For 
example, why don't we just start with a PPP extension bill? Why not?
  We managed to pass a bill in June, Dean Phillips, freshman Democrat 
from Minnesota, and myself, seven pages, because we ignored the normal 
process. And we went out and we got a bunch of support for it and we, 
basically, forced the issue. We got a vote and it extended the PPP, 
granting true reprieve and help to small businesses in Texas and 
throughout this country.
  The PPP is at 5.2 million loans and $525 billion since the spring. In 
Texas, over 400,000 loans of $41 billion. Eighty-six percent of the 
total count were less than $150,000. The average loan is $101,000.
  We have $130 billion left. Why don't we extend it? Why don't we add 
to it? Why don't we make this work for small businesses that, I am 
told, in Texas are going to run out of money in September, run out of 
money in October: live music venues closing, small restaurants closing, 
family-owned establishments that have been there for decades closing.
  Now we are playing Russian roulette with other people's lives. You 
have got local politicians and Governors who have shut down people's 
livelihoods: wineries, breweries, distilleries, live music venues, 
restaurants unable to stay in business in significant part because of 
government action, in part because of the virus and people's concerns.

  Why aren't we doing something right now?
  What is more important at 7 tonight than us, this body, meeting and 
coming up with solutions? A dinner? A fundraiser? An interview on 
MSNBC, CNN, or FOX? Some meeting with some higher-ups and the Speaker 
and the leader and some folks in the administration telling us what to 
do when we are every bit as duly elected as they are? But that is what 
is happening, because there sure as heck isn't anybody on the floor of 
the House Chamber here at 7.
  Over the last 180 days, since mid-March when we all left, around 
spring break time for a lot of our kids, over this 6 months, 180 days, 
we have met and voted, I think, 19 of those days. Today might be the 
20th. That is absurd. And none of those votes, by the way, were us 
actually sitting down here and debating.
  My friend agrees. He knows.
  Have we been down here debating? Have there been any grand debates 
here on the floor of the people's House? There have not.
  I can't tell you how many Members on the other side of the aisle and 
this side of the aisle I talk to about wanting to restore regular 
order. It is the fundamental problem we have among our so-called 
leaders in this town is we don't do that.
  Right now, we have H.R. 7894 that I did with my friends Congressman 
Curtis, Congressmen Wild, Meuser, Van Drew, a number of folks, 
bipartisan, that would extend the PPP.
  You know what? I don't care. Don't use that bill. There is the 
RESTART Act. There are others. But why don't we just pull up a bill, 
debate it, and vote on it? It is a novel idea.
  Or no, why don't we just wait for the powers that be to put together 
a $3 trillion bill that has virtually no chance of getting any kind of 
unified support because it has got 50 different moving parts and then 
wonder why the American people look at us and say: What is wrong with 
you?
  Just put a bill on the floor and let's debate it and vote on it. What 
are we afraid of? I am happy to vote, and my constituents can choose 
what to do in November. But let's debate and vote.
  That bill I just mentioned, it has 35 significant organizations and 
entities that support it: National Restaurant Association, a bunch of 
the business community that supports it.
  Fine. Again, I don't care, that bill, another bill. Let's just have a 
bill and

[[Page H4426]]

a vote on a bill that will help our small business community.
  But again, where is the Speaker? Why are we playing politics with 
small businesses? I don't get it.
  Where is the Speaker? Where is this body on 43, 43 dead law 
enforcement officers, up a significant amount, almost 50 percent since 
last year?
  I would say, as I said before, that bill that we got passed in June 
on a bipartisan basis, the PPP bill we passed in the spring, this is 
just my district alone, the district I represent, Texas 21: businesses 
supported, 18,400; nonprofits supported, 511; total jobs supported, 
90,900; funding distributed, over $600 million. That is one 
congressional district.
  Let's do our job. Let's pass an extension of that.
  Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 7 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use the time that I have 
remaining not lamenting some of my frustrations about the floor of the 
House but talking about why it matters. I would like to talk about this 
magnificent young lady, Rebekah Wendt.
  I rise here tonight to remember Rebekah, who loved her country, a 
martyr who lost her life striving to do what we all came here to do: to 
make America better.
  Rebekah is the granddaughter of Chuck and Judy Wendt, daughter of Tim 
and Erika Wendt, and sister of two of my staffers, one current and one 
former, Jonah and Manfred Haden Wendt.
  On July 10, a little bit before midnight, I received a phone call 
from my aide, Jonah. He informed me that his sister, Rebekah, had just 
passed away in a car accident while working on a campaign in west Texas 
for a candidate she believed in to make a little extra money to buy 
textbooks for school.
  Rebekah Susanna Wendt was born on May 12, 2000, to Tim and Erika 
Wendt. She was baptized on August 13 of 2000 and confirmed on May 17 of 
2015 at St. Paul Lutheran in Fort Worth, Texas. She was a rising 
sophomore at Trinity University, which I am proud to represent.
  On July 10, 2020, she was embraced at the pearly gates of heaven by 
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was greeted by those who had gone 
before her: Oma, Opa, Anita, Willard, and Jeff.
  Rebekah's story is nothing of inspirational.
  As a child, Rebekah struggled with language. Speaking, reading, and 
writing--putting her thoughts into written language--were difficult for 
Rebekah. Many thought she would never be able to read, but she overcame 
and flourished.
  As a child, she was able to do what most adults today cannot even do: 
ask for help.
  Rebekah had a wonderful gift for the fine arts. She danced and sang 
choir with poise and self-confidence. Rebekah learned to work through 
her difficulties and blossomed into an aspiring architect and 
historian. She would eventually follow her big brothers to Trinity 
University.
  Rebekah was a student of history and a lover of architecture. She 
loved to read about World War II, particularly the Battle of the Bulge.
  I thank my friend, a veteran, for coming in and holding this for me 
just as I am talking about the sacrifices of our wonderful World War II 
generation.
  As a self-described architecture geek, she worked hand in hand with 
her father to design their new home.
  Having just finished her freshman year at Trinity University, Rebekah 
was just beginning to come into her own.
  Her classmates at Trinity University remember her as a devoted 
Christian who lived out her faith every day: warm and enthusiastic, 
charmingly silly and unsure of herself, but brave and willing to ask 
for help. They will also remember her as a keenly aware friend.
  Her family will forever remember her as the introvert who just needed 
a stage to perform on; the sister who was already planning out who 
would host Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving; an apologetic history 
buff who would blurt out a fact only to excuse herself for being a 
self-described nerd; an old soul who found comfort in ``MASH,'' 
``Golden Girls,'' and anything vintage; a fighter who overcame the odds 
and never gave up on her dreams, with a smile that lit up rooms and a 
roaring laugh that the whole neighborhood knew.
  Her mother, Erika, will fondly recall her daughter as her best 
friend, kitchen partner, an ally in all things gluten-free, and 
caretaker of her two brothers. They need some caretaking.
  Her father, Tim, will never forget designing the family's new house 
with his beloved daughter. While Rebekah may have gone to Heaven, the 
family house will remain here on Earth as a testament to her love and 
devotion for her family.
  Following Rebekah's service, a friend of the Wendt family noted that 
the funeral had reminded her of Matthew 25:21: ``Well done, my good and 
faithful servant.''
  Well done, Rebekah. You have run the race. You have kept the faith.
  Rebekah's story has touched the lives of many people who she didn't 
even know.
  She passed away doing what I pledged to do when running for Congress: 
preserve the promise of America for our children and our grandchildren.
  She didn't have to be out on a campaign knocking on doors during a 
virus and all the chaos of 2020, but she did. In fact, Rebekah was not 
particularly political, but she loved her country, and she was proud of 
our history and all who had come before her in the name of life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

                              {time}  1915

  She loved America; she loved her God; she loved Jesus Christ; and she 
loved her German Lutheran heritage. She will be remembered as a very 
good German who loved her God, her family, and her country.
  She served as an inspiration to me and someone that I have honored, 
am honoring now, and will continue to honor as I serve not just in the 
United States Congress but the rest of my life.
  Thank you, Rebekah. While your time on Earth has come to an end 
sooner than we all would have liked, your legacy will remain long 
after. You are an inspiration for many and will not soon be forgotten.
  I thank my friend for his assistance. I thank Rebekah for her 
service. I thank her family for their love and support that they are 
offering to each other and everybody in the community.
  I will just say this in closing. We all have these stories. We all 
have people we lose. I went through a battle with cancer. We are here 
to make this country better. We are here to represent the people of the 
United States. I would just ask that we come together and let's solve 
those problems. Let's roll up our sleeves and do our job. That is what 
we were elected to do. And let's stand up for America together.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________