[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 172 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5652-H5657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONDEMNING QANON AND REJECTING THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES IT PROMOTES

  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1164, I call 
up the resolution (H. Res. 1154) condemning QAnon and rejecting the 
conspiracy theories it promotes, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1164, the 
resolution is considered read.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1154

       Whereas, throughout history, conspiracy theories that 
     falsely blame secret cabals or marginalized groups for 
     society's ills have fueled prejudice, genocide, and acts of 
     terrorism;
       Whereas QAnon is a movement promoting a collection of 
     unfounded conspiracy theories that have spread widely on the 
     internet since 2017;
       Whereas QAnon initially alleged that prominent Americans 
     are engaged in a secret plot to control the world, while 
     using their power to exploit children, and has expanded to 
     embrace virtually every popular conspiracy theory of the last 
     several decades,

[[Page H5653]]

     from questioning the truth about the September 11th terrorist 
     attacks, to believing in alien landings, to denying the 
     safety of vaccines;
       Whereas many QAnon followers express anti-Semitic views, 
     and the Anti-Defamation League has said that the movement's 
     central conspiracy theory includes anti-Semitic elements;
       Whereas conspiracy theories have been a central driver of 
     anti-Semitism for centuries, and QAnon conspiracy theories 
     are fanning the flames as anti-Semitism is on the rise in the 
     United States and around the world;
       Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has 
     assessed with high confidence that ``fringe political 
     conspiracy theories'', including QAnon, ``very likely 
     motivate some domestic extremists, wholly or in part, to 
     engage in criminal or violent activity'', and that these 
     conspiracy theories ``very likely encourage the targeting of 
     specific people, places and organizations, thereby increasing 
     the likelihood of violence against these targets'';
       Whereas the FBI bases this assessment on ``events in which 
     individuals committed crimes, plotted attacks, or 
     successfully carried out deadly violence, and who--either 
     before or after their arrests--attributed their actions to 
     their conspiratorial beliefs'';
       Whereas QAnon adherents have been implicated in crimes that 
     they claim their QAnon beliefs inspired, including--
       (1) a man arrested in 2018 for plotting to plant a bomb in 
     the Illinois Capitol rotunda to make Americans aware of the 
     ``Pizzagate'' conspiracy theory;
       (2) a man arrested in 2018 for using an armored car to 
     block traffic on the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge;
       (3) a man in Arizona arrested in 2019 for vandalizing a 
     Catholic church;
       (4) a woman in Colorado arrested in 2019 for plotting an 
     armed raid to kidnap her child, who had been taken from her 
     custody;
       (5) a man charged with the murder of an organized crime 
     boss in New York in 2019; and
       (6) a woman arrested in New York with a car full of knives 
     after posting a video accusing Joe Biden of participating in 
     child sex trafficking and threatening to kill him;
       Whereas the FBI further assesses that ``these conspiracy 
     theories very likely will emerge, spread and evolve in the 
     modern information marketplace . . . fostering anti-
     government sentiment, racial and religious prejudice, [and] 
     increasing political tensions'';
       Whereas, according to the Combating Terrorism Center at the 
     United States Military Academy at West Point, ``QAnon is 
     arguably no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an 
     ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to 
     violence individuals at an alarming speed'';
       Whereas Facebook, Twitter, and Google have removed or 
     blocked QAnon groups and content from their platforms for 
     violating their policies against misinformation, bullying, 
     hate speech, and harassment;
       Whereas QAnon adherents have been harming legitimate 
     efforts to combat child exploitation and sex trafficking, 
     including by overwhelming antitrafficking hotlines with false 
     reports;
       Whereas the conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon undermine 
     trust in America's democratic institutions, encourage 
     rejection of objective reality, and deepen our Nation's 
     political polarization; and
       Whereas our Nation's polarization is further accentuated by 
     others, from the far left to the far right, promoting extreme 
     ideologies and antigovernment conspiracy theories, hijacking 
     legitimate peaceful protests, and encouraging followers to 
     damage, deface, or vandalize local, State, and Federal 
     Government properties and to attack law enforcement: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns QAnon and rejects the conspiracy theories it 
     promotes;
       (2) condemns all other groups and ideologies, from the far 
     left to the far right, that contribute to the spread of 
     unfounded conspiracy theories and that encourage Americans to 
     destroy public and private property and attack law 
     enforcement officers;
       (3) encourages the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well 
     as all Federal law enforcement and homeland security 
     agencies, to continue to strengthen their focus on preventing 
     violence, threats, harassment, and other criminal activity by 
     extremists motivated by fringe political conspiracy theories;
       (4) encourages the intelligence community to uncover any 
     foreign support, assistance, or online amplification QAnon 
     receives, as well as any QAnon affiliations, coordination, 
     and contacts with foreign extremist organizations or groups 
     espousing violence; and
       (5) urges all Americans, regardless of our beliefs or 
     partisan affiliation, to seek information from authoritative 
     sources and to engage in political debate from a common 
     factual foundation.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution shall be debatable for 1 
hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  The gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal) and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Ms. JAYAPAL. 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. 1154.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, QAnon is a movement promoting a collection of unfounded 
conspiracy theories that have spread on the internet over the last 
several years. These conspiracy theories undermine public trust in our 
democratic institutions and our election process, and that is why I am 
pleased to support this important, bipartisan resolution by 
Representatives Malinowski and Riggleman.
  QAnon initially alleged that prominent Americans are engaged in a 
secret plot to control the world while using their power to exploit 
children. It now extends to a range of dangerous conspiracy theories. 
The FBI has assessed with high confidence that ``fringe political 
conspiracy theories,'' including QAnon, ``very likely to motivate some 
domestic extremists, wholly or in part, to engage in criminal or 
violent activity and that these conspiracy theories very likely 
encourage the targeting of specific people, places, and organizations, 
thereby increasing the likelihood of violence against these targets.''
  Mr. Speaker, as the Members may know, the resolution's lead sponsor, 
Representative Malinowski, has himself faced threats from QAnon 
supporters after he was falsely accused of lobbying to protect sexual 
predators.
  According to the Combating Terrorism Center at the West Point 
Military Academy: ``QAnon is arguably no longer simply a fringe 
conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to 
radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed.''
  Fortunately, a growing number of political leaders recognize the 
threat that QAnon poses, and that includes Republican House Minority 
Leader Kevin McCarthy, who recently said that ``there is no place for 
QAnon in the Republican Party.''
  The Malinowski-Riggleman resolution does several things:
  It condemns QAnon and rejects the conspiracy theories that it 
promotes;
  It encourages the FBI and all Federal law enforcement agencies to 
continue to strengthen their focus on preventing violence, threats, 
harassment, and other criminal activity by extremists motivated by 
fringe political conspiracy theories;
  And, finally, it urges all Americans, regardless of our beliefs or 
partisan affiliation, to seek information from authoritative sources 
and to engage in political debate from a common, factual foundation.
  I would hope that these are principles we could all agree with on a 
bipartisan basis.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution which 
condemns an extremist group known as QAnon.
  I have to admit that I had only recently heard of this group, but I 
didn't know any of the details of their beliefs or tactics until this 
resolution was brought to us. But from what I have read, they are a 
delusional group that began with an internet post in 2017, and they 
hold the bizarre belief that the Federal Government is infested with 
satanic pedophiles who are busy running a global child sex trafficking 
ring when they are not plotting against President Trump.
  Now, I am tempted to say you can't make this stuff up, but, 
obviously, somebody did make this up; and, given the reach of the 
internet, it is apparently being taken seriously by some extremists who 
are turning to violence.
  Lest it get out of hand, it is appropriate for the House to speak 
with one voice on behalf of all of our communities across this great 
Nation in condemning QAnon and its conspiracy

[[Page H5654]]

theories. It should be clear to every man and woman of goodwill in this 
country that this group seeks only to further roil our society and 
divide our citizens along lines of race, religion, and politics.
  Even in this highly polarized political climate, I think we can all 
agree on this. Let me ask us all to do so without attempting to smear 
any party or candidate with the ravings from this, the lunatic fringe, 
of our society.
  That term, ``lunatic fringe,'' was popularized by Theodore Roosevelt. 
He wrote this in his autobiography: ``Then, among the wise and high-
minded people who in self-respecting and genuine fashion strive 
earnestly for peace, there are the foolish fanatics always to be found 
in such a movement and always discrediting it, the men who form the 
lunatic fringe in all reform movements.''
  He continued: ``As I have already said, there is a lunatic fringe to 
every reform movement.''
  We have seen that borne out in the turbulent period of history that 
we now occupy, and how we deal with it will determine whether we can 
calm the political waters and restore peace and tranquility to our 
cities and civil discourse to our conversations.
  In that regard, it is important to note that QAnon and the lunatic 
fringe on the right no more speak for the right than antifa and the 
lunatic fringe on the left speak for the left. Both are poisonous to 
our democratic institutions, and both are destructive of what 
Lincoln called the mystic chords of memory that should unite us as a 
free people.

  So allow me to voice my hope that we will see similar condemnations 
of the lunatic fringe that has been given free rein in recent months to 
rampage, loot, vandalize, and burn so many of our towns and cities 
across the country.
  QAnon and its allied groups are real, but antifa and its allied 
groups are also real. Both are direct threats to our democracy because 
both threaten to employ violence for political ends, and that is the 
very definition of terrorism. No free society can long endure if their 
acts of violence are excused, ignored, or tolerated.
  Lincoln said it best: There is no grievance that is fit object for 
redress by mob law. To that, I would add this observation: Without law 
enforcement, there is no law; and without law, there is no 
civilization.
  I would express the fervent hope that, before we adjourn, we will 
entertain condemnations of all groups on all sides that employ violence 
for political ends by name.
  Wednesday night, the Rules Committee rejected a motion on a party-
line vote that would have brought to the floor a resolution condemning 
antifa and its allied groups concurrent with this resolution. That 
would demonstrate that this House speaks clearly and stands united 
against all such groups that have wrought such division and destruction 
in our communities.

                              {time}  1015

  That is especially important when we survey the violence perpetrated 
by the lunatic fringe in Portland; Seattle; San Francisco; Oakland; Los 
Angeles; Chicago; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Louisville, 
Kentucky; Minneapolis; and even Kenosha, Wisconsin.
  It is especially important when the mayors of these cities have 
withheld police protection from their own citizens, leaving innocent 
and peaceful shopkeepers and residents to the mercy of mob law and when 
prosecutors have refused to hold accountable those who have perpetrated 
this violence upon the American people.
  There is precious little time before the election to take a stand 
clearly and unambiguously against all political violence and with one 
voice to stand with the rule of law and not with the rule of the mob. 
If we could speak together on this most important issue, maybe we could 
start to find our way back to other fundamental principles and 
institutions that have always united us as a people and made our 
Nation, in Lincoln's words, the last best hope of mankind on this 
Earth.
  So, please, my Democratic friends, do not squander this fleeting 
opportunity to turn back from the perilous road we are on and reclaim 
the precious legacy our forefathers left us.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Malinowski), the sponsor of this legislation and a leader 
in our caucus.
  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, it is one of the oldest lies in the 
world. A blood libel. It always goes something like this: that there is 
a powerful, secret group of people who just happen--many of them--to be 
Jewish, and they are trying to control the world, and, for good 
measure, kidnapping our children.
  This is the central conspiracy theory that QAnon promotes today. And 
it sounds crazy--so crazy that sometimes we don't take it seriously 
enough. But throughout history, conspiracy theories, just like this 
one, have fueled prejudice, terrorism, even genocide.
  And today, social media is fanning the flames. Their algorithms know 
everything about us: what we search for online, our biases, and they 
feed us more and more extreme versions of what they think we want so 
that we stay glued to our screens and see more ads and buy more stuff.
  That, above all, is what is causing so many of our fellow Americans 
to fear and hate one another. And while many extremist groups on the 
left and the right are recruiting followers online, nothing today 
matches the scale of QAnon. Nothing comes close.
  On Facebook alone, QAnon pages and groups have had up to 3 million 
members there. There have been days this year when the most widely 
shared social media messages in the country are those promoted by 
QAnon.
  The physical threat is also real. The FBI, as we have heard, says 
that political conspiracy theories like QAnon increasingly motivate 
domestic extremists to commit violence.
  The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point says, QAnon ``has 
demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an 
alarming speed.'' And QAnon adherents have, in fact, committed numerous 
criminal and violent acts in the last 2 years.
  I think the greater threat is to our social fabric. QAnon is like a 
pill that immunizes you against objective reality, which millions of 
our fellow Americans are taking. It destroys trust in government, in 
Democratic institutions, in science, and in facts.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution we will pass today categorically condemns 
QAnon. It has an equal number of Republican and Democratic cosponsors, 
and I would thank them: Representatives Riggleman, Kinzinger, 
Fitzpatrick, Gottheimer and Luria. Our goal is a fully bipartisan 
repudiation of this incredibly dangerous phenomenon.
  Extremist movements gain validation from the belief that they are 
making inroads into the mainstream. So it is important to make clear we 
are unified against them, both parties, no hedging, no winks and nods.
  Now, there is just one more point I would make today, and that is, 
when we vote for this resolution today--and I am confident we will all 
vote for it--we need to mean it.
  And here is the only reference that I will make to partisan 
differences. It is an objective fact that this particular group of 
extremists today identifies with the right. There are a lot of them. 
And right now, even as we vote to condemn QAnon, there are political 
operatives out there putting out vile attacks that deliberately play to 
the paranoid fears QAnon promotes.
  Some people may rationalize this by pretending, Oh, QAnon, it is not 
that bad. These folks are just against sex trafficking, which is a real 
threat. Or they are just against the deep state, and hey, so is 
President Trump. Some might say there are crazy groups on the left, 
too, and that is absolutely true. And this resolution condemns them 
all.
  But you know what? When I criticize antifa, as I have, I don't get 
half-a-dozen death threats in a day. Only one of these things--for now 
at least--is considered an active terrorist threat by the FBI. Only one 
is a political force. Only one is winning elections.
  Remember what QAnon is: It is an anti-Semitic, conspiracy-mongering 
cult that the FBI considers a potential terrorist threat, and it has 
real growing political power.
  So if you vote against fire today, please don't play with fire 
tomorrow.

[[Page H5655]]

Don't be righteous here today and then go QAnon-lite on the campaign 
trail. Don't do or say anything to fan the flames further.
  Mr. Speaker, America desperately needs to come together. Conspiracy 
theories are tearing us apart. Let us pass this resolution and do it 
overwhelmingly and with true conviction so that we can say clearly, we 
have all had enough.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Riggleman), a cosponsor of this 
resolution.
  Mr. RIGGLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, before I begin today, I extend my best 
wishes to President Trump and Melania. Our thoughts and prayers are 
with them as they battle COVID-19.

  I also thank   Tom Malinowski for the amazing discussions that we 
have had going forward on this resolution. He is an amazing person to 
work with, and I thank him--and everyone else--for their work.
  Mr. Speaker, I do rise today at a pivotal moment in our Nation's 
history and a moment of reckoning for our national discourse. The 
vitriol and anger spewing from both sides of the political aisle, 
echoing across the darkest corners and caverns of the internet has led 
to violence and hate, divisiveness and anger.
  It has all but extinguished the light of reasonable political 
discourse in this great country called by so many, a ``City on the 
Hill.'' But we cannot continue to be this beacon of hope that we have 
been for so long if we can't address the issues holding us back, the 
webs that have ensnared us and the mistrust that has invaded our 
politics.
  The resolution before us today is not a panacea but it asks us a 
question about our purpose here in this august body: Will we stand up 
and condemn a dangerous, dehumanizing and convoluted conspiracy theory 
that the FBI has assessed with high confidence as very likely to 
motivate some domestic extremist, wholly or in part, to engage in 
criminal or violent activity?
  When my friend and colleague, Representative Malinowski, and I 
introduced a resolution condemning the QAnon conspiracy theory, we knew 
that we could draw the ire of those that believe in fantastical 
theories. We were condemning something that is a danger to our 
political discourse.
  QAnon believers have accused me of running a pedophilia ring for 
Israel, being a member of the Zionist Organizational Government, been 
called a traitor--accompanied by a picture of the gallows--and stated I 
was part of a target list. The grotesque nature of the tweets and 
Instagram posts, and the anti-Semitic tripe spewed by QAnon adherents 
should cause concern for everyone. Obviously, this is all ridiculous, 
much like their theory.
  But the death threats Tom Malinowski received were a surprise and a 
shock. This type of behavior is easily condemned--condemned by all of 
us here in this Chamber today. Putting aside the bizarre views of QAnon 
adherents, I call on this body to condemn them because of their 
actions, actions that include threatening the life of my friend,   Tom 
Malinowski. Plotting to plant a bomb in the Illinois Capitol rotunda to 
make Americans aware of the pizzagate conspiracy theory; the murder of 
a man in New York in 2019, and other such activities.
  QAnon and the conspiracy theories it promotes are a danger and a 
threat that has no place in our country's politics. I condemn this 
movement and urge all my fellow Members to join me in taking this step 
to exclude them and other extreme conspiracy theories from the national 
discourse.
  We talk about the First Amendment all the time. It is absolutely 
appropriate for the Members of this body to use the First Amendment to 
call out those that are using their First Amendment gift as United 
States citizens to attack other individuals.
  This Nation has passed through stronger storms than this in the past, 
and we will come out stronger still. But it takes leadership from the 
top to stand up against extreme ideas like QAnon.
  I call on this House to do that today. Support this resolution. Pass 
it. I agree with my friend and colleague,   Tom Malinowski, that we 
should not be playing with fire. I have been in the intelligence 
business. I know the power of information operations and false 
information. Again, let's pass this resolution.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the stages of deprogramming cult members is to 
point out the differences between the cult's ideology and reality. And 
QAnon is a cult. In an effort to reach some of the people that have 
fallen under its control, I would point out a few facts.
  Mass shootings are not staged so that the government can come and 
take away your guns.
  John F. Kennedy, Jr., died more than 20 years ago in a tragic 
aircraft accident. He is not in hiding, nor is he going to be President 
Trump's running mate.
  And President Trump is not fighting a secret war against a Satanic, 
child-molesting network of politicians.
  It is a sad statement that discussing such obvious absurdities is 
occurring in this Chamber today, but the fact is, that some have 
praised QAnon and encouraged the growth of this cult, even as the FBI 
has labeled it a domestic terror threat.
  And sadly, with the support of the White House, and even some Members 
of Congress, QAnon has moved from the darkest corners of the internet 
into the mainstream of today's political discourse.

  This November, there will be 22 individuals on the ballot for the 
House and the Senate who have either been endorsed by or lent credence 
to QAnon. This is a threat to public safety and to our democracy as a 
whole. This movement needs to be condemned and its followers need to be 
brought back to reality, just as we would do with any other cult.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Malinowski, for his 
leadership on this resolution, for the hard work he did to make certain 
that the condemnation of this dangerous cult is bipartisan. And I hope 
all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this 
resolution so we can send a message clearly and strongly to the 
American people that this cult is dangerous for our public discourse, 
dangerous for our democracy, and dangerous for our communities.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), my good friend and colleague.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Res. 1154 and call on all of my colleagues to denounce the dangerous 
QAnon conspiracy theories.
  Mr. Speaker, QAnon is a new front in an old war and relies on anti-
Semitic tropes in order to spread the message. QAnon followers actually 
believe that the world is controlled by a secret cabal of child 
abusers, who will drink the blood of their victims. The FBI has linked 
the group to domestic terror and considers it a continuing terrorist 
threat.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Tom Malinowski for leading this. The kind of 
messages that he is getting--very, very frightening. And I also thank 
Denver Riggleman and all of the bipartisan sponsors of this 
legislation.

                              {time}  1030

  Just last week, my subcommittee held a hearing on how social media 
mainstreams extremism. When we heard from our witnesses, it was really 
terrifying.
  QAnon and other extremist groups have thrived for years on the 
internet, recruiting members, promoting racism, dividing our 
communities, and plotting actions of violence.
  As people have suffered, Big Tech has prospered and profited. 
Algorithms that amplify profits for platforms like Facebook, YouTube, 
and Twitter also amplify extremism.
  This week, Facebook announced a ban on ads that support QAnon. Good, 
but it is far too little and far too late. Facebook users who are in 
QAnon-associated groups will still be able to see extremist content, 
just further down in their news feeds.
  Moreover, Facebook groups promoting anti-Semitism have grown by 27 
percent in the past week.

[[Page H5656]]

  Congress needs to denounce right now this kind of hate rhetoric, and 
Big Tech must be held accountable for profiting on this hate.
  Before I close, I would like to also state my support for H. Res. 
1153 and thank Pramila Jayapal for leading the effort and Speaker 
Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer for their help on this resolution as 
well.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Phillips).
  Mr. PHILLIPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge a ``yes'' vote, a 
unanimous ``yes'' vote, on Mr. Malinowski's resolution. Quite frankly, 
I cannot believe that I have to stand on the floor of the United States 
House of Representatives to issue these remarks.
  Every one of us here swore the very same oath to defend our Nation 
from enemies, both foreign and domestic. QAnon is a dangerous enemy, a 
dangerous enemy lurking right within our borders that must be 
forcefully and, again, unanimously condemned.
  What they propagate is not real. Their baseless conspiracy theories, 
lies, and fearmongering are creating something, however, that is very 
real. And that is division; it is hate; and if left unaddressed, 
violence against fellow Americans.
  Just this week alone, my dear friend, Representative Malinowski, has 
received numerous death threats for simply condemning QAnon. 
Representative Spanberger, a former CIA officer, has been labeled a 
terrorist. And how could we forget Representatives Scalise and Giffords 
both being shot during the last number of years by deranged people?
  Every one of you here knows the very lives of our colleagues are now 
at risk. So who is going to speak against it? Has hate really become a 
partisan issue? Is reality really up for debate?
  I applaud my friend, my dear friend, Representative Riggleman, who 
has spoken very forcefully and immediately against QAnon. I know others 
are following suit. But those who don't, for those who do not, what 
reason could you possibly have to remain silent?
  My friends, we are all Americans, every single one of us. And 
Americans are looking to us right now to model principled, thoughtful, 
decent leadership at this increasingly fragile time in our history. And 
history shall be our judge.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).
  Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, in response to September 11, President Bush 
and this Congress sent soldiers and Marines, like me, across the ocean 
to fight against extremism. The terrorists that we fought against used 
violence to advance their political agendas and viewed lawmakers here 
as their enemies.
  QAnon, the proud boys, the boogaloo boys, and other extremist groups 
think and operate in similar ways.
  But in this case, Americans do not have the luxury of looking across 
the ocean at this threat and just hoping and praying that it doesn't 
come home.
  Members of these groups are American. Politicians have unforgivably 
embraced them. Social media platforms legitimize them to an unwitting 
public.
  Well, I have had enough.
  QAnon followers like to say, in their vague, ominous ramblings, that 
no one can stop what is coming. That is wrong. We can, and we will.
  Do not let the unforgivable mainstream support for these groups raise 
doubts about our Nation's resolve in this fight against extremism, that 
we will stop what is coming, and then we will build a safer, stronger 
America.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a member of the Judiciary Committee.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, thank you to the gentlewoman who is 
managing this resolution, and thank you very much to Mr. Malinowski for 
bringing us together.
  I think I started out earlier this morning by saying the Nation is 
better than this. It is not because people do not have the right to 
espouse views that I may disagree with. But not when those views become 
detrimental to innocent Americans; when those views take the very 
hostile and historically violent form of anti-Semitism; when they begin 
to attack and marginalize groups; when they evidence themselves as we 
saw--although not claiming to be part of QAnon--that scene in 
Charlottesville, with tiki torches, saying that part of the Nation did 
not belong here, in essence threatening people of color, Jewish people.
  I believe this resolution is crucial. It is crucial because it is 
dangerous to remain silent. As we have looked at QAnon, it is 
attempting to speak of fringe beliefs that can be enormously dangerous. 
It can actually motivate domestic extremists, which may result in harm 
to innocent persons.
  The FBI has made an assessment, with high confidence, that the fringe 
political conspiracy theories, including QAnon, are motivating domestic 
extremists, and where QAnon adherents have been implicated in one 
particular case of a man arrested in 2018 for plotting to plant a bomb 
in the Illinois Capitol rotunda to make Americans aware of pizzagate.
  I think we are also aware of, during the last Presidential election, 
someone driving and rushing to a restaurant in Washington, D.C., and 
going in the basement, suggesting that pedophiles and the then-
Presidential candidate were involved in it.

  These are dangerous positions. They are not just that I disagree 
because a philosophy is different from Sheila Jackson Lee. It is that 
we must not be silent, for there have been atrocities perpetrated 
around the world historically because people remained silent. The 
atrocities in Germany come to mind; we remained silent. Or the genocide 
in Sudan; we remained silent.
  So this resolution is crucial. It is as crucial as the work we will 
do in addressing the sin, the original sin, of this Nation, and that 
was slavery.
  But I rise today to support H. Res. 1154 that condemns QAnon and 
rejects conspiracy theories. I ask my colleagues to support this. And I 
thank the author of this legislation for his courage and leadership.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I 
will close as I began.
  Extremist groups on the right and the left that advocate violence as 
a method of achieving political goals threaten the very foundations of 
our democracy, and I fully support this resolution in its denunciation 
of one such group called QAnon.
  But the American people can see with their own eyes where the 
violence on our streets is coming from, and I deeply regret that the 
majority is not willing to call out by name such groups as antifa or to 
acknowledge that such evil forces even exist. We must speak out 
together against all such groups, and I am deeply troubled that, for 
some reason, we cannot.
  We need to know who is funding these groups. We can already see with 
our own eyes who is encouraging them.
  We can see with our own eyes whose mayors have deliberately withheld 
police protection from their citizens as these extremist-driven mobs 
run rampant in our communities.
  We can see with our own eyes those politicians calling for defunding 
police departments that are the only means of defense that our citizens 
have.
  We can see with our own eyes those prosecutors who have refused to 
hold accountable those who perpetrate violence in our communities and 
who instead prosecute citizens who are desperately trying to defend 
themselves.
  So, I am pleased to support this resolution, but it is no substitute 
for a clear and unambiguous stand against all political extremism and 
violence that this House, for some reason, refuses to take.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let 
me start by thanking Mr. Malinowski and Mr. Riggleman for this 
bipartisan resolution, such an important statement. And I do hope all 
of my colleagues in this Chamber vote for the resolution. I am troubled 
that some might try to take this bipartisan resolution and introduce 
other aspects that include calling out cities like mine, the city of 
Seattle, and other baseless comments.
  But the most important thing is to return to the context of this 
resolution. The context is that it is sad that, in the year 2020, a 
baseless, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory has infected

[[Page H5657]]

the political discourse of our great democracy.
  This body should not be giving such an unhinged internet hoax the 
time of day. Frankly, it is sad that in the past few weeks, the House 
has had to pass several resolutions, including a resolution calling for 
a peaceful transfer of power after this year's Presidential election, 
to publicly reinforce democratic customs and norms that until recently 
were beyond question. But circumstances, yet again, require this body 
to make a statement.
  Through social media, this internet hoax has become so widespread 
that it has inspired threats and even acts of violence across the 
country, including against our Members on both sides of the aisle. 
Unfortunately, rather than condemn this hoax, rhetoric that comes from 
the White House has instead given comfort to QAnon followers and 
credence to their belief in fabricated and fantastical theories.
  Under these circumstances, it is so good to be doing a bipartisan 
resolution in this House. It is imperative that the House of 
Representatives make it clear to the American people that QAnon is a 
hoax and that we absolutely and completely condemn the violence 
perpetrated by its adherence.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on 
the Judiciary and on Homeland Security, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 1154, a resolution condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy 
theories it promotes.
  QAnon is a movement promoting a collection of unfounded conspiracy 
theories that have spread widely on the internet since 2017.
  Whereas, throughout history, conspiracy theories that falsely blame 
secret cabals or marginalized groups for society's ills have fueled 
prejudice, genocide, and acts of terrorism.
   QAnon first gained notoriety with its unfounded, outrageous, and 
bizarre conspiracy theory alleging that prominent Americans are engaged 
in a secret plot to control the world, while using their power to 
exploit children.
  Qanon has gone on to embrace virtually every popular conspiracy 
theory of the last several decades, from questioning the truth about 
the September 11th terrorist attacks, to believing in alien landings, 
to denying the safety of vaccines.
  Many QAnon followers express anti-Semitic views, and the Anti-
Defamation League has said that the movement's central conspiracy 
theory includes anti-Semitic elements;
  Mr. Speaker, history records that conspiracy theories have been a 
central driver of anti-Semitism for centuries, and QAnon conspiracy 
theories are fanning the flames as anti-Semitism is on the rise in the 
United States and around the world.
  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has assessed with high 
confidence that ``fringe political conspiracy theories'', including 
QAnon, ``very likely motivate some domestic extremists, wholly or in 
part, to engage in criminal or violent activity'', and that these 
conspiracy theories ``very likely encourage the targeting of specific 
people, places and organizations, thereby increasing the likelihood of 
violence against these targets.''
  This assessment is supported by an alarming number of ``events in 
which individuals committed crimes, plotted attacks, or successfully 
carried out deadly violence, and who--either before or after their 
arrests--attributed their actions to their conspiratorial beliefs.''
  For example, QAnon adherents have been implicated in crimes that they 
claim their QAnon beliefs inspired, including--
  1. A man arrested in 2018 for plotting to plant a bomb in the 
Illinois Capitol rotunda to make Americans aware of the ``Pizzagate'' 
conspiracy theory;
  2. A man arrested in 2018 for using an armored car to block traffic 
on the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge;
   3. A man in Arizona arrested in 2019 for vandalizing a Catholic 
church; and
   4. A woman arrested in New York with a car full of knives after 
posting a video accusing Joe Biden of participating in child sex 
trafficking and threatening to kill him.
  According to the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States 
Military Academy at West Point, ``QAnon is arguably no longer simply a 
fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its 
capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed.''
  The conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon undermine trust in 
America's democratic institutions, encourage rejection of objective 
reality, and further deepen our Nation's political polarization.
  It is therefore timely and appropriate that the People's House 
support this resolution, which puts it on record clearly condemning 
QAnon and rejecting the false conspiracy theories it promotes and 
spread.
  In the highly charged political climate we find ourselves in it is 
also appropriate that this body condemns any and all other groups and 
ideologies, from the far left to the far right, that contribute to the 
spread of unfounded conspiracy theories or that encourage Americans to 
destroy public and private property and attack lawful authority.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to condemning QAnon and its false and 
dangerous conspiracy theories, I support the resolution because it 
calls upon the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as all Federal 
law enforcement and homeland security agencies, to continue 
strengthening their focus on preventing violence, threats, harassment, 
and other criminal activity by extremists motivated by fringe political 
conspiracy theories and urges all Americans, regardless of our beliefs 
or partisan affiliation, to seek information from authoritative sources 
and to engage in political debate from a common factual foundation.

                              {time}  1045

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 1164, 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.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question 
are postponed.

                          ____________________