[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H7971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NO ONE IS ABOVE OR BENEATH THE LAW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. And still I rise, Mr. Speaker, and still I rise.
  Mr. Speaker, a monumental motif of American jurisprudence is the 
basic premise that no one is above the law. It doesn't matter your 
station in life, it doesn't matter whether you are the President of the 
United States, and it doesn't matter how much money you have. No one is 
above the law.
  I would also remind us, Mr. Speaker, that there is a compelling 
corollary to this premise, and it is that no one is beneath the law. No 
one is above the law, yes, but no one is beneath the law. It doesn't 
matter how poor you are. It doesn't matter what kind of job you have. 
It doesn't matter whether you are a janitor or you are a sanitation 
worker. It doesn't matter. You are not beneath the law in this country. 
Even if you are an asylee coming here from another country, you are not 
beneath the law.

                              {time}  1015

  I'm so proud, Mr. Speaker, to announce to my colleagues that the D.C. 
Council will vote on a migrant bill today. It seems that on Tuesday 
there will be an emergency bill to establish an Office of Migrant 
Services for the thousands who are being brought here by Governors of 
Texas and Florida.
  These persons in Washington, D.C., they are doing the righteous 
thing. They are trying to help lawful asylees as they traverse to their 
destiny. The Governors of Florida and Texas, they would have derailed 
the Underground Railroad. They would have been the persons who were out 
looking for those who were seeking freedom.
  I am proud of the Mayor of Washington, D.C. I don't know how 
efficacious the program will be, but I do know that they are making an 
effort. For this effort, I not only commend them, I will do whatever I 
can to help them. It is time for us to realize that no one is beneath 
the law. Asylees are not beneath the law. They are law-abiding persons. 
The mere fact that they have submitted themselves and seek to have this 
opportunity to live in this country means that they have broken no law.
  I have a question for the Governors of Texas and Florida. Here is my 
question: You are spending millions to bring people out of their way 
and to some extent put them in harm's way. I have a question for you: 
How much will you spend to help them get to their hearings? How much 
will you spend to help them continue their journey?
  Yours is not a righteous cause. Yours is a cause to do what you can 
to prevent lawful, law-abiding asylees from having their day in court. 
History will not be kind to you. You ought to be ashamed of what you 
do.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair.

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