[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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