[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5111-H5112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CHANGE IS SWEEPING ACROSS AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise in the name of 
liberty and justice for all.
  Mr. Speaker, there is something happening in our country. It appears 
to me that the inescapable, irreversible winds of change are sweeping 
across our land. It seems to me that the people in this country have 
seen things that they did not anticipate they would see. They didn't 
expect to see what happened to George Floyd. They didn't expect to 
understand what has happened to

[[Page H5112]]

Breonna Taylor. And the people in this country seem to want to see 
change take place.
  I am amazed at how one question by a moderator at an event has made a 
significant impact. The simple question was, and I am paraphrasing: 
Would you denounce white supremacy?
  It was a simple question. It did not get the appropriate answer. As a 
result, people are starting to believe that we ought not allow an 
answer that is inappropriate to be acceptable.
  I am just amazed at how persons across the aisle--and I am grateful 
to them--persons across the aisle have said that there should have been 
the appropriate answer given, which is: I condemn white supremacy; I 
condemn the supremacist.
  That is the answer, simple, easy answer.
  And persons across the aisle are sending a clear and perspicuous 
message to the Chief Executive Officer: He needs to change that 
response--walk it back; talk it back; crawl it back; just take it back.
  I don't know that he will, but I do know this: When we have my 
friends across the aisle making it clear that this was wrong, something 
is happening here, and I am grateful to my friends. I thank you for 
taking the bold position that you are taking, not allowing this to be 
just another one of the many episodes wherein inappropriate statements 
have been made and not challenged. I thank you for what you have done, 
all of you, those who have said you need to condemn white supremacy.
  Something strange is happening. There is a change taking place, and I 
am grateful to have lived long enough to see this change occur.

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