[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 108 (Friday, June 24, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5915-H5917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ISSUES OF THE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mrvan). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am very proud to have 
a dear friend and colleague on the floor with me.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Ocasio-
Cortez).
  Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I believe we are here today and today 
is a very heavy day for so many of us across the country.
  Every single one of us woke up today with less rights than we had 
yesterday. Pregnant people, in particular, are in more danger in the 
United States today than we were yesterday as a result of the Supreme 
Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

[[Page H5916]]

  I think what we are experiencing here--it is important to tell the 
truth of what is going on. With so many individuals out here, I think 
it is important for us to also tackle this myth that this is somehow 
about babies or children or life because the same individuals who 
purport and who claim to be protecting life, fight against universal 
healthcare.
  Do they believe in universal childcare?
  Do they believe in life after birth?
  From their policy positions, I assure you the evidence is lacking.
  A party and individuals who claim to protect the lives of children, 
just weeks after over a dozen children died in Texas, now claim to 
support their life--the lives of the young.
  Who are we protecting?
  Who does this protect?
  No one.
  Overturning Roe puts every single one of us in danger. What I think 
many of our colleagues perhaps haven't quite--or perhaps they have--
fully understood is that this also undermines the right to privacy in 
the United States of America. We are here to solve this issue. Our job 
is to develop a path forward. In that, we know that this House has 
passed and is willing to codify Roe.
  What we also need is answers from our colleagues in the United States 
Senate. To those Senators who voted for these Justices under the claim 
and the guise that this would not happen, this decision falls on them.
  What will they do--as they were lied to?
  What will they do as a consequence of this decision, whether that be 
Republican or Democrat?
  We cannot allow this to go unanswered. We are talking about a court, 
with the majority of Justices appointed by a party that has not won a 
popular Presidential election more than once in 30 years, ruling 
against the majority of Americans. We have a Senate that is controlled 
by minority rule. We have a House suffering from the impacts of 
gerrymandering that amplifies and undermines our democracy.
  We are in a very dangerous moment, not just for women, not just for 
LGBT communities, not just for all of us, but we are in a dangerous 
moment in the world because this is not just about the right to choose. 
This is about rule of law and democracy, and who is a full person in 
the eyes of the law.
  To all of those who are watching today's events unfold in fear, in 
anger, in rage, in depression, in anxiety, one thing remains steady: 
that we will not stop fighting until this is fixed. I say that to my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle. We are not going away. We 
stay. We fight. We push. We will not be silenced.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her 
message, and I assure her that I will be part of that fight.

                              {time}  1345

  There are some fights that you cannot escape. I believe that women 
should have the right to choose. It is not my choice. It is the choice 
of the woman. I hope that we will see a time when the Supreme Court 
will realize that it has made a mistake that has to be corrected.
  But today I am here primarily and principally to talk about a state 
of affairs in Texas. Sadly, regrettably, and unfortunately, the GOP--
the Grand Old Party, the party of Lincoln--has degenerated and devolved 
into what I call the COT, the cult of Trump. The party of Lincoln has 
devolved into the cult of Trump. It is no longer the Lincolnian party 
firmly planted on the bedrock of the democratic principles, government 
of the people, by the people, and for the people. It has deteriorated 
into the Trumpian party firmly planted on the dubious ground of 
``government of Trump, by Trump, and for Trump.''
  This is best evidenced and evinced by juxtaposing the public policy 
stance taken by the GOP with the public policy stance codified and 
voted on by the Texas Republican Party--the COT, the cult of Trump--on 
June 18, 2022, at their party convention in Houston, Texas. And 
juxtaposing, the GOP, the party of Lincoln that took a stand and fought 
to keep the Union together, the COT, the cult of Trump, has taken a 
stand to secede from the Union literally. Texas now under Republican 
leadership desires to leave the Union.
  When I say Republican leadership, I mean those persons who 
participated in the convention. The Governor sent a message and State-
elected officials were a party to it. Either directly or in some 
vicarious way they were all affiliated and associated. They knew about 
this vote that was taken, and either they voted for it, or they have 
acquiesced to it.
  The GOP, the party of Lincoln historically, accepted and participated 
in the peaceful transfer of Presidential power. The COT, the cult of 
Trump, rejects the certified results of the 2022 Presidential election 
and holds that President Biden was not legitimately elected by the 
people. This is all news that has taken place in the State of Texas 
recently--as of June 18, 2022--Texas wanting to leave the Union by and 
through the GOP.
  Now the cult of Trump and also the Texas Republican Party indicated 
that President Biden is not the President. They went so far as to say 
that they reject the certified results of the 2022 Presidential 
election that holds that President Biden was elected but they say not 
legitimately elected.
  Lastly, of the many things that I could mention--but it is something 
that is critical to people of color and women--the GOP, the party of 
Lincoln, forged the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution recognizing 
the right of former slaves to vote. Under the hand of GOP President 
George W. Bush, a 25-year reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act was 
signed into law.
  On the other hand, the COT, the cult of Trump, urges that the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965, codified and updated in 1973, be repealed and not 
reauthorized. The Texas former Republican Party, now the cult of Trump, 
would repeal and not reauthorize the Voting Rights Act.
  Should this happen, the gender, complexion, and diversity of the 
Congress will change significantly.
  Here is why: In 1965, when our dear colleague and brother, John 
Lewis, crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on what we now call Bloody 
Sunday, when he crossed the Edmond Pettus Bridge that day, he had to 
sense what fate was awaiting him on the other side of the bridge. I am 
not sure he anticipated it would be as dastardly imposed as it was. As 
he approached the bridge--I have been to the bridge many times; it has 
a zenith, and it has crest. As you approach the crest, Mr. Speaker, you 
can see what awaits you on the other side.
  On Bloody Sunday in 1965, peaceful protesters were marching from 
Selma to Montgomery. They were peaceful, doing no one harm, and simply 
wanting to peacefully demonstrate that they were willing to walk to a 
city that for years had been a place where there had been persons who 
were being mistreated and not having the opportunity to vote as other 
people were voting. But in any event, they were walking, and they came 
upon the police and the constabulary on horses.
  I spoke to my friend, John Lewis, about this. He said he thought he 
was going to die because they started beating them. They beat them all 
the way back to the church where they started. It was a sad day in 
history. It was a sad day in the history of this country and a sad day 
in the history of the world. The camera's eye caught what was 
happening, and it was broadcast around the world.
  A President from Texas, Lyndon Johnson, wanted to do what he 
ultimately did. But he didn't have the momentum to get it done until 
Bloody Sunday when people saw the meanness, the hate, and just the 
desire to harm peaceful people. When they saw all of this, it gave him 
that momentum that he had been seeking. I admire him. He was able to 
get the Voting Rights Act of 1965 signed.
  That Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed the diversity in Congress, the 
complexion of Congress, and the agenda of Congress. This is the same 
Voting Rights Act, Mr. Speaker, that the cult in Texas--the COT, the 
cult of Trump, no longer the Grand Old Party, the GOP--they would not 
reauthorize, they would repeal it.
  President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. At the time he signed 
it in 1965 in the 89th Congress, there were four Asian Members--four. 
There were four Latino Members, six Black Members, and 13 women in the 
Congress.
  There were four Asians in 1965. Now, fast-forward to 2022, the 117th 
Congress.

[[Page H5917]]

There are 21 Asian Members. Before the Voting Rights Act became law, 
there were four. In 2022, there are 21. Before the Voting Rights Act, 
there were four Latino Members. In 2022, there are 52. The Voting 
Rights Act has afforded opportunities that were not there prior to 
Bloody Sunday.
  There were six Black Members in 1965. In 2022, there are 61 Black 
Members. I am proud to be one of them--61. I would daresay that but for 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I would not be one of the 61. The Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 has made a difference in the complexion of Congress. 
There were thirteen women in 1965. In 2022 there are 151 women.

  You see, Mr. Speaker, when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 made it 
possible for African Americans to have these opportunities, it did open 
the door for others as well. It opened the door for people of color. 
They were not the slaves that benefited from the 13th Amendment, but 
they were people who benefited from the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  It also provided people in my congressional district to have a ballot 
printed in more than one language. Houston is a polyglot city. Many 
languages are spoken. The ballot in the Ninth Congressional District, 
where I am fortunate enough to serve, is printed in four different 
languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. The Voting Rights 
Act made that possible. It has been reauthorized and amended such that 
language has been made a part of the Voting Rights Act giving people 
the opportunity to simply vote in a language that they understand. Some 
people would say: Well, they should all speak English.
  Well, there are some Native Alaskans who don't necessarily find 
English as their native tongue. They are citizens. They ought to be 
able to vote. They are people who acquired citizenship and speak 
another language. They speak English well enough to have the kinds of 
conversations that can help in your daily life, but when you are 
casting a vote for President of the United States or some other public 
office such as judgeships, it would serve people well to be able to do 
this with the language they are most comfortable with. Hence, we have 
the ballot in these four languages.
  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has made, and continues to make, a 
difference notwithstanding the fact that a significant portion of it 
has been eviscerated. We still have section 2 of the Voting Rights Act 
to help prevent invidious discrimination that Texas is known for, by 
the way. Texas is the home of invidious discrimination. Texas has twice 
left its place in countries where slavery was not acceptable. Rather 
than remain, Texas has seceded. Texas left Mexico because of slavery, 
and Texas left the United States because of slavery. So the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965 has made a difference.
  But the State of Texas through many of its agents, and especially 
those associated with the cult of Trump--formerly known as the GOP, the 
Grand Old Party--many of those agents would repeal the Voting Rights 
Act which would make a great difference in who speaks at this 
microphone and who walks the Halls of Congress.
  It seems that in Texas if you can't conform with the law or you don't 
want to, then you just simply change the law.

                              {time}  1400

  And that is what they seek to do now, to change the law, rather than 
allow the diversity to exist that we currently see. They would change 
the law and roll back the clock; and I assure you, the diversity that 
we currently experience would cease to exist.
  So I am here to say that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 must be 
reauthorized. It must be.
  I understand that the Supreme Court seems to be hostile to the rights 
of minorities, hostile to the rights of women. My dear friend, Ms. 
Ocasio-Cortez, spoke quite eloquently on the subject.
  I indicated that this was my last topic, as it relates to the cult in 
Texas, but I do have to confess that in Texas, the former GOP, now the 
cult of Trump, bans abortions, or would ban abortions--this is what 
they codified and published--would ban abortion from the moment of 
fertilization. That means that there would be no legal abortions in 
Texas from the moment of fertilization.
  I do have sympathy for women who are raped. There would be no 
options, from the moment of fertilization. It appears, at least to 
some, that this would also mean, even if the mother's life is in 
question. This is as draconian as a law can be.
  Women should have the right to choose. It is their body. I can have 
opinions, but they have to deal with the reality. And it is not an easy 
reality for many women to confront.
  So this is something they should have the opportunity to talk about 
with their most trusted confidantes and make hard choices. I don't wish 
the choice upon anyone, but I do think that women ought to have that 
choice.
  And my hope is that, as I indicated earlier, I live long enough to 
see a Supreme Court that will realize that Roe v. Wade--the decision in 
Roe v. Wade was a decision that gave women the opportunity to make 
choices that only they should have the opportunity to make.
  Mr. Speaker, these are some very difficult times. I see many people 
celebrating. But I also know that when I called a friend to discuss 
this, there were many tears being shed. And not everybody is happy 
today. For many people, this is a very dark day in the life of our 
country.
  Just yesterday, or the day before--the days run together sometimes 
when you are up late--the Supreme Court ruled that you can carry your 
gun openly, notoriously.
  I don't want to live in a world where my safety is dependent upon my 
having an automatic Kalashnikov model 47, or some replica of an AR-15. 
I don't want my safety to depend upon my being--having the quickest 
draw. I don't want to resolve my disputes with a gun.
  I just think this is a very difficult time for us. And my prayer is 
that we will have persons in the Senate who will understand that there 
is little time left for us to make a difference.
  We have the House, meaning Democrats. We have the Senate, and we have 
the Presidency. There is just little time left. But there is enough 
time left for us to make a difference if we choose to.
  And my prayer is that those Senators will understand that either we 
take up our agenda now, or we risk not having the opportunity to take 
it up within the foreseeable future. That is what we risk.
  I hope that they will see that now is the time to deal with a woman's 
right to choose. The legislation is there.
  Now is the time to deal with gun safety laws that can prevent 18-
year-olds from having weapons of war.
  Now is the time to take up voting rights, so that all persons will 
have an equal opportunity to serve.
  Now is the time to take up an agenda that will make America the 
beautiful a more beautiful America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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