[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 63 (Monday, April 17, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H1744-H1751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special 
Order hour.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, for the next 60 minutes, we 
have a chance to speak directly to the American people on issues that 
are of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, 
the constituents we represent, and all Americans.
  I rise today for the Tennessee Three, who stood in the face of 
bigotry and vitriol to fight for the communities they serve.
  After six lives were lost due to gun violence in Nashville, the 
Republican-led Tennessee Legislature expelled two Black lawmakers who 
stood with families, teachers, and students to demand a solution.
  What happened to Representative Justin Pearson and Representative 
Justin Jones is an utter disgrace. This expulsion was a blow to our 
democracy and underscored the legislature's flagrant disrespect for 
their First Amendment rights.
  The families of those who lost loved ones in The Covenant School 
shooting deserve real legislative solutions, not bigotry and petty 
politics.
  As elected officials, it is our solemn responsibility to keep our 
communities safe from gun violence. Extreme Republicans have other 
priorities; protecting the NRA instead of our children and silencing 
the voices of our Black leaders.
  Extremist Republicans continue to look the other way as our schools 
become firing ranges; as our movie theaters become firing ranges; as 
our places of worship become firing ranges.
  It should provide us with some comfort that both of these lawmakers 
expelled were recently reinstated with unanimous support. Local leaders 
in Shelby County and Nashville were able to see through the hatred and 
recognize that representatives Pearson and Jones were fighting for 
their constituents.
  However, let's not forget that what happened in the Tennessee 
Legislature can happen in any community anywhere in our country. Any 
State could be next, including my home State of Florida.
  We cannot forget about why Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were 
expelled in the first place. They were fighting for an answer to end 
the gun violence epidemic that wreaks havoc in all communities in our 
country.
  Nashville, like so many other cities, has been touched by this 
crisis. Families in South Florida know it all too well after a gunman 
entered the grounds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and took 17 
innocent lives in 2018.
  Enough is enough. I urge Congress to come together in passing an 
assault weapons ban before more lives are lost. This senseless violence 
can no longer be left unaddressed.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. Jackson).
  Mr. JACKSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to confront a multitude of 
challenges that have relentlessly gnawed at the very soul of our 
Nation, the devastating plague of gun violence, the erosion of our 
democratic values, and the insidious persistence of racism that 
continues to cast its dark shadow over our society.
  As we stand today, hearts heavy with sorrow, we remember the innocent 
lives lost in the tragic mass shooting at The Covenant School in 
Nashville. Three young children and three adults were mercilessly taken 
from us, leaving a void in their families and communities that can 
never be filled.
  The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department identified the victims 
as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9 years of age; Hallie Scruggs, 9 years of age; 
William Kinney, 9 years of age; Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; 
Mike Hill, 61.
  In the wake of this unspeakable tragedy, the Tennessee State 
Legislature, a body that was meant to protect its citizens and uphold 
the values of this great Nation, chose to abdicate its 
responsibilities.
  Instead of working tirelessly to keep their communities safe from the 
horrors of gun violence, they opted for an unprecedented and unjust 
course of action; expelling two Black members of the Democratic Caucus 
who stood with families, who stood with teachers, and who stood with 
the will of the students in their righteous demand for gun safety 
reform.
  Representative Justin Jones and Representative Justin Pearson, two 
Black and duly elected representatives, were silenced, their voices 
snuffed out like candles in a storm.
  The GOP-led House's actions have sent a chilling message that racism, 
the vile scourge that has blighted our Nation's history, is still alive 
and well.
  My fellow colleagues, it is high time we stand up and speak truth to 
power. We must stand tall, shoulder to shoulder, and declare that we 
will no longer tolerate this blatant racism and anti-democratic 
behavior. We will not let the echoes of the past define our presence, 
nor dictate our future.
  To truly understand the gravity of the situation in Tennessee, we 
must delve into the sordid history of State legislatures in the South 
and their treatment of Black lawmakers.
  During the Reconstruction era, we saw the rise of Black political 
representation. However, this progress was met with fierce resistance 
from the white supremacists who sought to maintain their grip on power.

                              {time}  1945

  In Georgia, 32 Black legislators, known as the Original 33, were 
expelled from the general assembly in 1868. They were among the first 
African-American State legislators in the United States. Twenty-four of 
their members were ministers. Their only crime was the color of their 
skin.
  This blatant act of racism sets a dangerous precedent for future 
generations.
  In the turbulent times of the civil rights and antiwar movements, Mr. 
Julian Bond, a key figure in the founding of the Student Nonviolent 
Coordinating Committee, was elected to the Georgia House of 
Representatives in 1966. Amidst the struggle for justice and equality, 
the Georgia House refused to seat Mr. Julian Bond, alleging that his 
opposition to the Vietnam war rendered him unfit to serve.
  It took a Supreme Court ruling to overturn the decision and affirm 
Bond's right to serve in the State legislature.

[[Page H1745]]

  Moreover, we cannot forget that even the United States Congress has 
denied African-American lawmakers their rights to seats.
  On February 27, 1869, Congress rejected John Willis Menard, the first 
Black man elected to the House of Representatives. Mr. Menard, a poet, 
newspaper publisher, and politician, secured a resounding victory in 
Louisiana's Second Congressional District.
  In November 1868, despite his triumph, his election was met with 
fierce opposition led by the defeated White candidate, Caleb S. Hunt. 
Then-Congressman James Garfield argued it was too soon ``for a Negro'' 
to join the Congress and that the seat should be declared vacant to 
save the $5,000 salary.
  As a result, Mr. Menard was never seated, and his constituents were 
denied representation until the next election.
  It is both disheartening and infuriating that even after more than 
150 years since the end of the Civil War, we continue to grapple with 
the same injustices that have plagued our Nation since its inception. 
Racism remains deeply entrenched in our society, and the expulsion of 
Representative Justin Jones and Representative Justin Pearson in 
Tennessee is a stark reminder that our struggle for equality, justice, 
and fair representation is far from over.
  We as a nation have not made as much progress as we should have 
despite the countless sacrifices of our forebearers. Black people in 
America continue to face systemic oppression and are silenced in 
various forms.
  The legacy of slavery, segregation, sedition, and racial violence 
casts a long shadow over our society. However, it is in the face of 
adversity that we find our strength.
  Throughout history, Black Americans have persevered, united, and 
fought for their rights, standing tall against the forces that sought 
to silence them. From the brave men and women who stood up against 
racial segregation to the pioneering lawmakers who broke barriers in 
the State legislatures and Congress, their resilience and determination 
have paved the way for future generations.
  Now, it is our turn to carry the torch of progress. We must stand to 
demand an end to the injustices that continue to suppress the voices of 
our brothers and our sisters. We must actively dismantle the structures 
that perpetuate racism and inequality, ensuring that every citizen, 
regardless of the color of their skin, has the opportunity to thrive 
and make their voices heard.
  Let us draw inspiration from those who have come before us and forged 
a new path toward a brighter future. Let the bold parallels of the past 
guide us as we reshape the narrative, ensuring that the sacrifices of 
our ancestors were not made in vain. It is our responsibility as a 
nation to guarantee that every American, irrespective of race, has the 
right to be heard, respected, and valued.
  We are one Nation, indivisible, bound by our shared history and our 
common aspirations. Let us rise together and demand change not only for 
ourselves but for our children and our children's children.
  We must break the chains of injustice, end the cycle of 
discrimination, and ensure that our voices, the voices of Black 
Americans and all marginalized people, will never again be silenced.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from New York (Ms. Clarke).
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) for yielding, and I thank Mr. 
Jackson for co-anchoring this evening's Special Order hour.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise on this day praying for the speedy recovery of 
16-year-old Ralph Yarl of Kansas City, Missouri, who was released from 
the hospital today after being shot in the head for ringing the wrong 
doorbell.
  We live in a society today where more and more communities are living 
in a recurring nightmare, reeling from gun violence.
  Gun violence is the number one killer of children in the United 
States of America. While it has always been Black communities that have 
borne the brunt and have been the most victimized and terrorized by gun 
violence, and have too often assumed the blame of a poorly regulated 
gun industry, I truly expected that there would have been some 
bipartisan action taken to protect the next generation after the 
tragedy at Sandy Hook all those years ago.
  Instead, the far right stays licking the boot of the NRA, taking 
their blood money and looking the other way. It has become crystal 
clear that the rightwing Republicans couldn't care less.
  It is unconscionable that they care so little for the lives of 
children. I mean, look at what has happened just this past week in 
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.
  Mass murder and mass casualties have become commonplace, but we can't 
make them normalized.
  It is not lost upon me that two Black lawmakers, Representatives 
Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, were expelled from the Tennessee House 
after joining peaceful protests against gun violence. Another 
generation that has had to grow up doing gun violence drills in their 
schools has now taken leadership and is leading the charge.

  Let's be clear. The CBC won't stand by and allow another Jim Crow era 
to take root while further GOP legislators abuse their power, as we saw 
in Tennessee. The CBC will continue to push back against any and all 
efforts by Republicans to subvert the will of the American people, 
whether it is the effort to overturn our election on January 6 or 
efforts to silence or expel members from statehouses who advocate for a 
better nation, a better America, safe from the horrors of gun violence.
  Again, I thank the gentlewoman from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for 
yielding.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida and the 
gentleman from Illinois for leading this Special Order hour, which is a 
great responsibility given to them by the chairman of this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the recent expulsion of two 
elected members of the Tennessee Legislature and the threat this action 
poses for American democracy.
  On April 6, two Black elected officials, Justin Jones and Justin 
Pearson, as we all know, were expelled from the Tennessee State 
Legislature. They were involved in peaceful protests to demand 
legislators pass stricter gun laws in the State.
  Why they were engaged in that peaceful protest is because their 
colleagues had tried to silence them so many times during normal 
debate, in committee, and on the floor of the Tennessee Legislature 
that they finally had to take these actions in order to be heard. They 
were expelled because of that protest.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of those young men. They stood up for what 
they felt was right, and they took their opportunity, as elected 
officials of that body, to be heard. If it took rebellion to be heard, 
a megaphone to be heard on the floor, then that is what they had to do.
  I was honored to be part of something similar that the Congressional 
Black Caucus led on this floor not too many years ago. I see my 
colleague Joyce Beatty and my colleague Yvette Clarke here. They were 
both part of that rebellion. We sat down on the House floor, which is 
against the rules.
  We sat down because of the same issue these young men spoke up for: 
gun violence. We were tired. John Lewis led us, as he had done so many 
times before, and we sat right down on that floor and held the House of 
Representatives for over 24 hours.
  Our colleagues tried to come back and disrupt us and scare us, but we 
were unbowed. We continued to hold this floor until we had people 
understand that we were serious about this.
  Our children are being killed all over this Nation, and the 
unfortunate thing that happens with so many of my colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle is that, until it happens in their community, 
until it happens to their friends, until it happens to their family, 
they don't want to talk about it. Let it happen in their community and 
to their friends and to their family, and then we have to do something.
  It is just like the fentanyl problem, a major problem in this country 
now.

[[Page H1746]]

Urban communities screamed about the opioid issue for 20 years, and 
nobody did anything. Now that it is impacting their families, it is a 
major health issue.
  We have to understand that all issues in this country should be 
looked at in that manner. These young men were brave and articulate. It 
made sense for them to protest the horrible and unnecessary gun 
violence that occurs every day in this country.
  In March, a former student entered the Covenant School in Nashville 
and killed three students and three adults. The school was part of 
Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian Church. Like millions of Americans, 
Tennessee residents are sick and tired of gun violence.
  I have many Members behind me, so I will not belabor the point, but, 
Mr. Speaker, when are we going to address this issue?
  The majority of the people in this country say they are willing to 
have reasonable gun background checks to make sure criminals or people 
with mental illness do not have these weapons because we are finding 
many times those are the people that are having these issues.
  Why can't we deal with that? It is not unreasonable. Every American 
has a Second Amendment right to own a gun, but we should make sure we 
keep guns out of certain people's hands. That is what we need to do.

                              {time}  2000

  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), from the Third District.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, let me say thank you to my colleagues and 
my friends for chairing tonight's Special Order hour. To the 
gentlewoman from Florida and the gentleman from Illinois, I thank them 
for speaking truth to power. I thank them for reminding us of our 
history. I thank them for reminding us why we are here tonight as we 
speak to the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to stand in solidarity with the 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus and with the Tennessee Three. 
I have this raised fist on a poster behind me saying: I stand with the 
#TennesseeThree.
  Mr. Speaker, as we speak truth to power tonight in the face of an 
unspeakable tragedy, in which six Americans--three educators, and three 
babies 9 years old--were murdered senselessly due to gun violence, the 
move by the Tennessee legislature to expel these lawmakers for using 
their voice to speak truth to power is unjust, undemocratic, and un-
American.
  You will hear those words riddled through our Chamber throughout the 
night. To silence lawmakers for standing up for the will of the people 
is not democracy. I am glad that my classmate, my colleague, and my 
friend, Congressman   Donald Payne reminded us of April, 7 years ago in 
this very Chamber, where in a full House we had a sit-in and stopped 
the Congress in an effort to get laws passed on gun violence, gun 
reform, because of the number of times we come to this Chamber, we come 
to the floor's microphone, and we say: 1 minute of silence. We did it 
today, Mr. Speaker.
  Democrats and Republicans can come and stand in this Chamber and in a 
solemn hollow voice beg us to pray for the victims of another mass 
shooting, beg us to stand together for 1 minute, 60 seconds in it, 
because lives have been lost to gun violence with assault weapons.
  Mr. Speaker, I respect the Second Amendment, but I don't respect 
coming to this floor--and I don't respect the individuals that will not 
bring gun reform to this floor in legislation that will help us 
eradicate what we are living through. It is just not fair.
  If I had my way, I would put a piece of legislation on the House 
floor that says we can't come to the floor and do a 1-minute when we 
are losing lives because we can put something in place to make a 
difference.
  The expulsion of the State representatives, Justin Jones and Justin 
Pearson, two Black, duly-elected members representing minority 
districts, makes it clear that racism is still alive and well in this 
Nation.
  What happened in Tennessee's legislature was a blow to our democracy. 
If this can happen in Nashville, it can happen in any community in this 
country we call America. Republicans in Tennessee's legislature shut 
down the members for standing up for our children.
  Mr. Speaker, gun violence is a leading cause of death. Mr. Speaker, 
gun violence is an epidemic in our country. Inaction, Mr. Speaker, 
should not be an option. We need more leaders and officials standing on 
the front lines with the American people to assure them that we are 
fighting to ban assault weapons, fighting to protect our children, 
fighting to protect our communities, and yes, fighting to protect our 
democracy. That is exactly what the Tennessee Three did.
  Two Black men--young men--and a White woman stood together for 
justice. They fought to defend our democracy and the power of our 
voices. And, yes, as you have heard and I imagine will hear repeated 
again, just yesterday another tragedy occurred in this Nation, taking 
the lives of four Alabama young people, 16 years old, going to a 
birthday party.
  I imagine this week we will come to this floor again, Democrats and 
Republicans, and acknowledge that this should not have happened, and 
acknowledge that, again, we should bow our heads for 1 minute, 60 
seconds.
  As a grandmother, as someone who has grandchildren who I hope can 
live to look to the future, I would hope that we would stand here and 
say for our children, if not for us as Republicans and Democrats, that 
we can stand together and come up with some type of legislation for gun 
reform.
  Let me end here by saying, yes, we should put gun violence at the 
forefront of our agenda.
  Mr. Speaker, it is simple, we should put people over politics because 
not bringing gun reform to this floor is simply a political maneuver. 
Let me say, we stand here together as members of the powerful 
Congressional Black Caucus, and we remind you that you cannot expel 
justice and you cannot expel our voices.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, can I inquire how much time is 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 33 minutes remaining.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), from the 18th District.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted but sad but empowered 
but anguished but yet fulfilled but yet rising but yet encouraged but 
yet ready to fight this evening. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida 
for her distinguished leadership and friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted as well with the gentleman from Illinois 
for his shining leadership and transformational changes that are 
happening in and around his district in Chicago.
  I am honored to be here with my other colleagues that are here. I 
thank Chairman Horsford and Chairwoman Beatty, emeritus of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, and I am honored to again call the 
Congressional Black Caucus the conscience of the Congress, and, yes, 
the conscience of the Nation. We can say that because in our midst we 
have had the Honorable John Lewis.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to go down memory lane just a bit. As I do so and 
before I speak to the irony of the connection of the Tennessee Three to 
the historical record. Does anyone remember the Georgia 33, as we have 
brought to highlight? There were 33 Black legislators right after the 
Civil War, 1866 to 1868, proud and standing tall because they had some 
way of gaining the right to vote and the people there--the freed 
slaves, after the 13th Amendment was eliminated ending slavery in the 
United States--our freed slaves could vote. Property owners, as I 
believe.

  They elected 33 Black legislators, and they were proud. You could see 
them with their button-down suits, speaking the best English they 
could, and fighting for their constituents. That is what we are to do 
here. Listening to the people and having the ear of their constituents.
  Yet, within a few moments of their great victory, election to the 
Georgia Assembly they were expelled, thrown out because of the color of 
their skin, which began the demise of reconstruction and the Black 
codes and the horrors of the rage of the Klan and others leading into 
the 1900s.
  Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of George White who stood on the floor in

[[Page H1747]]

1901, who had been drawn out of this Congress, a Member of Congress, 
and said: The Negro will rise like the phoenix.
  Then in 1966--I am still stunned--a brilliant young man by the name 
of Julian Bond was duly-elected by the constituents, he had their ear, 
and they had his ear. A young man. He had all the willingness to do 
what was right as an elected member of the Georgia Assembly, and he was 
expelled for his supporting the fact of the SNCC, the organization that 
he previously led, indicating that the Vietnam war violated 
international law.
  He didn't speak of the soldiers, which I have repeatedly said that 
our soldiers put on uniforms unselfishly. We never accuse them. They 
fight and they die. They died in Vietnam from all of our communities 
from the South to the North to the East to West, from our backyards. 
But because he expressed a democratic belief, meaning his right to a 
belief that might have been different, and because of democracy he had 
the right to speak, he was expelled.
  Now we come to the fear and the absolute outrage of lack of 
understanding. I am baffled by the expulsion of the Tennessee Three: 
Representative Pearson, Representative Jones, and Representative 
Johnson.
  All they did was come to hear the cries of America's best, the youth, 
the children, crying out again: How much more bloodshed can we take? 
The Congressional Black Caucus has been a leading force joining with 
our colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say this tonight--we come from the same State--
let me just say this. We all tend to oratory, we are passionate and 
emotional. After all these years and all the deaths of children, can we 
find even a sense of Congress that will lead us to be able to condemn 
gun violence as being the number one killer of our children through 
homicide?
  The very fact that four children died and other innocent persons in 
Nashville just a mere couple of weeks ago, I want you to know that I 
feel personal pain when the news rises up in the early morning hours of 
what happened the night before, or the weekend, I have a personal pain.
  My tenure here was a tenure during the assault weapons ban, but in 
the midst there was Columbine. The numbers showed that they went down, 
the assault weapon incidences. Now I am living with Sandy Hook. I am 
living with Parkland, Virginia Tech. I am living with Texas Tech. I am 
living with any number of those in Texas from the Walmart to the church 
to Uvalde where I went and talked with the families and went to 
funerals and cried and wondered why children were dead--19 of them.
  These young men in Tennessee were walking the pathway of the Georgia 
33 and Julian Bond. As history reflects, they did nothing wrong. These 
three individuals, one who was not expelled, did nothing wrong as well. 
They were representing their constituents. They were nonviolent. They 
were in the midst of civil disobedience. They could not be heard. They 
were on the floor where one could do a lot of things.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article titled ``The `All 
Things Being Equal Test' Part II: Blatant Racism in the Tennessee 
House.''

                       [From Forbes, Apr 7, 2023]

   The `All Things Being Equal Test' Part II: Blatant Racism in The 
                            Tennessee House

                          (By Susan Harmeling)

       The shocking but not surprising expulsion of two young 
     Black men by the Tennessee State Legislature while their 60-
     year-old White colleague was spared ouster despite breaking 
     house rules in the exact same way is a blatant display of 
     racism, pure and simple. It may sound ridiculously obvious, 
     but it needs saying. Representatives Justin Jones and Justin 
     Pearson were clearly kicked out because they are Black, and 
     also supposedly not ``apologetic'' enough for their White, 
     male counterparts who decided to pursue the nuclear option 
     and remove them from office instead of using other, lesser 
     punishments such as censure. Representative Gloria Johnson, 
     who a few days earlier had joined Jones and Pearson in taking 
     to the house floor to demand an assault weapons ban following 
     the slaughter of three little kids in their school, was 
     protected by her whiteness, as she herself publicly stated.
       This is an important moment in our society as it exposes 
     both an ugly truth and an opportunity for progress. The ugly 
     truth is obvious: two young, Black men in Tennessee--the 
     birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan--were expelled for breaking 
     rules of ``decorum'' while their White colleague who, again, 
     joined them every step of the way still has her job. As Rep. 
     Jones pointed out, there have been only two other expulsions 
     from the Tennessee House in the last 157 years. In l980, a 
     representative was found guilty of accepting a bribe while in 
     office and in 2016, another was expelled over allegations of 
     sexual harassment. Recently, neither an arrest on charges of 
     domestic violence nor admitted child molestation nor alleged 
     urination on the seat of a fellow legislator was enough to 
     warrant these offenders expulsion, but loudly protesting 
     inaction on gun violence after three 9-year-olds are 
     executed--and especially protesting such horror while Black--
     was reason enough for a Republican supermajority to take this 
     extreme action. In a particularly repulsive and condescending 
     comment, Rep. Andrew Farmer, R-Seviervi11e, blamed Pearson 
     for throwing a ``temper tantrum with an adolescent 
     bullhorn''. He continued addressing Pearson, ``That yearning 
     for attention, that's what you wanted? Well, you're getting 
     it now.'' Farmer may as well have preceded his ugly rant with 
     the word ``boy'' for good measure.
       But take heart! Farmer is right in one sense--these young 
     men are clearly going to get attention, just not the kind of 
     attention Farmer was hoping for. This is clearly not the last 
     we have heard from Jones and Pearson, both of whom are 
     extraordinarily talented young legislators and orators. In 
     fact, the Tennessee Republicans picked the wrong targets if 
     they are hoping for this issue to go away. I personally have 
     hope that their strong and powerful voices, particularly on 
     the epidemic of gun violence, will not be silenced by this 
     temporary, unjustified setback.
       I would like to focus on the opportunity--and more 
     specifically the lesson--that this sorry episode presents. 
     Too often, white people (or any people whose own ``tribe'' 
     acts in such a blatantly racist way) look for alternative 
     explanations for such behavior. But if it walks like racism 
     and quacks like racism, it is racism. Due to our tendency 
     toward homophily, our knee-jerk reaction is to start 
     explaining away the bad behavior of people who look like we 
     do. But we have to stop it. And the best way to stop it is to 
     put the episode through the ``all-things-being-equal'' test 
     (otherwise know as the ``but for'' test), as in, would these 
     young men have been expelled ``but for'' their race? Well, in 
     this case, our answer was served up on a silver platter 
     because Rep. Johnson was spared while her two colleagues lost 
     their seats.
       Typically, it's a bit more subtle. Would I have been called 
     ``confident'' in teaching evaluations but for my gender? The 
     answer is no, because not one single one of my male 
     counterparts ever saw that adjective on their evaluations. 
     Their confidence was simply assumed. Would Joe Biden have 
     called Barack Obama ``clean and articulate'' but for Obama's 
     race? No, because in the next breath he called him the first 
     ``mainstream African American''. Would a young woman I 
     recently interviewed have been asked by an older male 
     colleague what she was making her boyfriend for dinner had 
     the gender roles been reversed? Again, very doubtful (she 
     swears she doesn't cook and never told this man that she 
     does). Would George Floyd still be here today but for his 
     race? Would a young, Black female former student of mine have 
     been told by her White male boss that she could get promoted 
     more quickly if she just ``told a few more jokes'' ``but 
     for'' her race and gender? You get the idea. . .
       Assumptions, stereotypes, and the natural human desire to 
     hang around with our ``Amen Choir'' only serve to further 
     divide us and to keep certain members of society from 
     reaching their full potential. I suspect that those 
     conservative, White, male Tennessee legislators would be a 
     lot more comfortable with Reps. Jones and Pearson if they 
     tried harder to conform to their ways of dress, behavior, 
     speech and ``decorum''. In fact, Representative Pearson's 
     previous decision to wear a traditional, African dashiki on 
     the house floor really got some of those guys riled up.
       But the promise of America is that it is a melting pot 
     where we are called by our better angels to treat all fellow 
     citizens with respect and tolerance. And the punishment for 
     rule-breaking (or law-breaking) should be proportionate to 
     the transgression, and the same for everyone. The quest for 
     fairness in all areas of society, from law to politics to 
     business to our many daily personal interactions, would 
     benefit from the regular application of the all-things-being-
     equal test--``but for'' the individual's race, gender, age, 
     sexual orientation, etc, would things have played out in the 
     same way? In Tennessee, if you're a young, Black male in the 
     statehouse, the answer is clearly no.

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I come today to be able to join my 
colleagues and to again ask for the question of justice and democracy 
and freedom, and to be able to salute these three. To say that in their 
name, from Tennessee, now from Alabama where teenagers were murdered, 
can we not do our work on the floor of the House: from abandoning 
assault weapons, from passing a sensible storage bill, the Emily 
Vaughan storage bill, to getting rid of ghost guns, to making red flag 
laws permanent and not voluntary--because of what happened in 
Louisville, mental health concerns, and a number of other places. Can 
we not do this?

[[Page H1748]]

  


                              {time}  2015

  I simply close with respect to the late Representative John Lewis. I 
simply close and pay tribute to him, for it was before your tenure, Mr. 
Speaker, that we did take to the floor of the House to sit with his 
leadership in the pain of another shooting of children way back during 
Parkland. We couldn't take it anymore. I wonder if this is not the 
moment when we can find common ground. I am going to look for my 
friends on both sides of the aisle to see whether we can find common 
ground on some form of gun safety legislation. Then I will say to those 
Tennessee Three what John Lewis said: Never give in, never give out, 
and never give up.
  I pay tribute to them and all others who have never given up, never 
given out, and never given in
  God bless all of you, and God bless the United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, last week, we witnessed acts reminiscent of the 
extraordinary punitive action against lawmakers that can be traced back 
in Tennessee's deeply rooted racist history.
  In fact, the third time since the Civil War era that the Tennessee 
House has expelled a lawmaker from its ranks and threatens to further 
inflame the partisan rancor within a bitterly divided state.
  The silencing of the voices of two Black members for peacefully 
protesting gun violence is not only racist and anti-democratic, but 
also morally bankrupt, and out of step with the overwhelming majority 
of Americans who believe that we need common sense gun control reforms 
to save lives.
  The expulsions of Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones and 
Representative Justin Pearson--two Black duly elected members 
representing minority districts--makes clear that racism is alive and 
well in Tennessee, and in America.
  If we want to progressively advance as a democracy, we must recognize 
and acknowledge these ugly truths and work towards eradicating racism 
when and where it rears its ugly head.
  These expulsions showcase is a harsh and racist retaliation against 
Representatives Jones and Pearson because they rightfully supported 
peaceful student protestors and demanded that the Republican majority 
in the legislature do more to protect communities against gun violence 
in the aftermath of the Covenant School shooting.
  I ask, why have we come this far to achieve progress for our 
democracy to go backwards?
  What occurred in the Tennessee Legislature and to our fellow 
lawmakers was a blow to our democracy.
  We must be cognizant of that.
  This should concern every American because the hallmark of a vibrant 
and healthy democracy is the very thing the Republicans in the 
Tennessee Legislature shut down: Freedom of Speech.
  It is hard to ignore the racial dynamic that played out. Its clear 
race is involved when two Black members were expelled and not the white 
member for the same alleged offense.
  Tennessee Speaker Sexton comparing children, parents, teachers and 
their representatives--who only want children to be safe from gun 
violence in the classroom--to insurrectionists shows how morally-
bankrupt Republicans are in our country.
  There is absolutely no comparison between that peaceful protest, and 
the violence in the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
  I stand today to acknowledge, support, and engage as much as possible 
to make sure reinstatement is upheld, equal democracy is demonstrated 
across all levels of government no matter the party affiliation, and we 
move forward as a democracy.
  We must be weary, however, that this extraordinary abuse of power in 
Tennessee is an ominous sign of what is currently taking place and what 
may still lie ahead in other state legislatures.
  These anti-democracy efforts are spreading in red states around the 
country, including: the Texas State TEA's move to take control of 
Houston schools, removing the elected school board and superintendent; 
and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's abuse of power in removing a 
prosecutor for political reasons.
  In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis abused his power by removing an 
elected prosecutor because he didn't like his policy positions. A 
federal judge said DeSantis acted unconstitutionally, but the judge 
said he did not have the power to reinstate the prosecutor. DeSantis is 
now considering removing a second prosecutor.
  And in my home state of Texas, the state Government Education Agency 
will soon take oversight of the Houston school system away from the 
elected school board and superintendent. The takeover, an ACLU Texas 
attorney explains, ``is not about public education but about political 
control of an almost entirely Black and brown student body in one of 
the country's most diverse cities.''
  Like our ancestors and civil rights legends, we must stand up and 
push back against these growing, dangerous attacks on our freedoms and 
democracy.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from the Seventh District of Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
  Mrs. McBATH. First, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Honorable Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick and also Jonathan Jackson on behalf of the CBC for 
standing on the front lines tonight for this very special hour.
  I rise this evening to address the frightening assault on democracy 
which took place in the Tennessee legislature. In the days following 
the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, Representatives Justin 
Jones and Justin Pearson demanded action to keep their communities safe 
from gun violence.
  In the spirit of our dear departed friend and as we have talked about 
John Lewis a great deal tonight, these lawmakers were doing nothing 
more than making good trouble. In response, the Republican Party 
majority in Tennessee took measures to expel Representatives Jones and 
Pearson from their positions undermining the will of the voters who 
sent them to Nashville.
  This is simply unconscionable. This is not how it works. This is not 
how democracy works. This is an attack on the very principle of 
representative democracy on which our Nation was founded.
  Our children are being murdered in their classrooms, and rather than 
work on solutions to prevent these senseless tragedies from happening 
again and again and again, Republican leaders in Tennessee opted to 
expel the lawmakers who are simply fighting for change, fighting to 
save lives, and fighting to save the lives of everyone in this country.
  Our children are being murdered in their classrooms. We watch it day 
in and day out. We watch it at birthday parties, on our front 
doorsteps, and in their friends' cars as my son, Jordan, was murdered.
  We cannot look away from the tragedies that are devastating families 
all across the country. Shame on us. Shame on this body to turn a blind 
eye to the massacre of human life.
  Who have we become in this body that we have no thought for 
preservation of human life?
  We cannot seek to silence the voices that are crying out for change 
because we are not powerless. We have the power. We are the body. We 
have solutions to put an end to gun violence that claims over 100 
Americans in this country every single day; solutions that the majority 
of Americans support and are crying out for.
  What happened in Nashville sets a very disturbing precedent. Efforts 
to silence duly elected representatives can happen in States all across 
this country. It happened right here in this very Chamber. But the will 
of the American people will not be overturned. The efforts of those who 
would rather betray trust in our democratic institutions than fight to 
keep kids safe in our school, those efforts will fail, and we will 
continue our efforts to make good on the promise that we must fulfill 
for America's children. A better and safer America is what they 
deserve. It is truly possible if we have the will and the courage to do 
it.
  Representatives Jones and Pearson are disrupters. And, yes, for 
cultural change to make this community--our community--safer, it means 
disruption. That is how change happens.
  As we talked about earlier, mentioning the sit-in with Representative 
John Lewis on the floor, when that happened, I was leading a rally 
outside the Capitol, disrupting, to make sure that people's voices were 
heard and to make sure that survivors and victims like me have the 
ability to express and ask this body to do what is right.
  The time has passed. It is long overdue. Over and over and over and 
over again, we come before this House and this body and ask people to 
stand up with courage and do the right thing.
  When will it happen?
  Do we have the courage to act?
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
the Second District of Louisiana (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleagues, 
Congresswoman Cherfilus-

[[Page H1749]]

McCormick from Florida and Representative Jackson from Illinois, for 
their leadership, their commitment, and for allowing us to have this 
opportunity to speak on such an important, important measure.
  I was outraged by what we all witnessed in Tennessee at the beginning 
of April. Following the tragic mass shooting at The Covenant School, 
the Republican majority in the State legislature chose to avoid passing 
any meaningful gun reform or even having any meaningful discussion 
about gun reform. Instead, they sought to thwart democracy and to 
silence the critics who stood with the community and who demanded 
action. Prayers are wonderful. I subscribe to them daily. Well-wishing 
is a wonderful thing, and it make us feel good. That alone without 
action is not enough.
  We as elected officials are sworn to a task and to a duty to serve 
and to provide. In Tennessee that day, we failed the people of 
Tennessee. We failed the people of America. Instead of action, they 
expelled two Black American members of the Democratic Caucus who stood 
with parents, teachers, and students to demand action and to speak 
truth to power about the reality of gun violence.
  This was an attack on our democracy, and all of us, Republican, 
Democrat, and other, should be outraged with such an attack on 
democracy because this issue today may have been an issue that the 
majority ruling party didn't like.
  What happens tomorrow when we unilaterally seek to silence the voices 
of duly elected people in a democratic society?
  Stop and think about that for a second. Stop and think about it. Stop 
and think about the threat to our democracy. The cornerstone and the 
pillar of our society is freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and 
the ability to disagree and to have meaningful discourse. That is what 
we all ran on. That is what the mighty Constitution protects.
  Yet, in Tennessee that was ignored. It was ignored. It was defiled. 
Everyone, of every race and party, should find disdain and pain with 
that kind of treatment in the democratic process.

  In the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, four Members of the House, 
James Lewis, John Willis Menard, P.B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas 
Walls, were wrongly denied the right to take their seats.
  These egregious actions in Tennessee show us that the fight for Black 
representation in the United States is still an ongoing battle.
  Our democracy is built on the freedom of speech and the freedom to 
protest. To expel elected representatives for standing with their 
neighbors after an horrific act of gun violence against children is 
appalling. I am enraged that it was two Black lawmakers who were 
expelled.
  Black people in the United States have historically been vilified for 
speaking up. We have been beaten. We have been attacked by dogs. We 
have been hosed with powerful water hoses. We have been hanged from 
trees. Yet, in 2023, two duly elected members of a State legislature 
were unilaterally dismissed and removed from service for standing up 
with the people. There were no guns. There were no spears. There were 
no choke holds. There was no fighting. There was no profanity. There 
were no broken windows or broken arms. It was mere words--mere words--
that defended the Constitution of our land and that defended the people 
to protest against something as egregious as the death of children. And 
we say we don't need to do anything with gun control?
  You can't find one thing, Mr. Speaker?
  Can we find any one thing that we can come together on that would 
suggest that we hear the pain? We hear the cries? We see the eyes of 
Black and White mothers and fathers who will never see their children 
again?
  Yet, we continue to find a comfortable place in the shade and hide 
behind rhetoric.
  The time has come for us to do something, to act, to move, and to 
show the American people that we will not continue to sit back and 
watch senseless killings on our streets. Look at the statistics. We 
have more mass murders in a year than we have days in this year.
  Doesn't that mean anything?
  Doesn't that cause you to cringe and say no more?
  Black, White, Republican, and Democratic, there are lots of things 
that we can agree to disagree on. Public safety should not be one of 
them, particularly when it comes to standing up for our young people.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we send a promise of action, and we ask you to 
join us in delivering on that promise of action.
  Today I stand for justice. Today I stand with the Justins. Today I 
stand with the Tennessee Three. Today and every day I invite you, Mr. 
Speaker, to join me and others in supporting the bare principle of 
democracy and protecting its people.

                              {time}  2030

  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 10 minutes remaining.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Frost).
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I am here today because I, like the rest of 
our Nation, am outraged about what we have seen happen in Tennessee.
  Six innocent people died as a result of senseless gun violence in 
Nashville, a school shooting where we lost children that will never be 
forgotten.
  Instead of banning together to honor these victims, to honor those 
families, to honor with action, real action that would save lives, 
Republicans in the Tennessee Legislature took the racist step of 
expelling two Black lawmakers who stood with the families, students, 
teachers, and their constituents in demanding change.
  The only thing that Representatives Jones and Pearson are guilty of 
is doing the right thing, of standing with their constituents who sent 
them to the State legislature to fight for their lives. That is why 
they have already been unanimously reappointed to their positions by 
the people in their local governments.
  I pray and act and fight for a day when we are more outraged that 
children were murdered in a pool of their own blood at school than we 
are that Black folks have the audacity to take up space in the halls of 
power.
  Guess what? Representatives Jones and Pearson will continue to take 
up that space. Black lawmakers such as myself and my colleagues in this 
room will continue to take up that space. The people--children--for 
whom the leading cause of death in this country is guns will continue 
to take up that space.
  As long as there is injustice, we will not be silent. We will 
continue to fight for a world where no one has to have the fear of gun 
violence.
  I commend Representatives Jones and Pearson. They are American heroes 
because they fight for a day when we can be safe.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove).
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida 
and the gentleman from Illinois for managing this very important 
Special Order hour.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the blatantly antidemocratic 
and, frankly, racist expulsion of Tennessee Representatives Justin 
Jones and Justin Pearson.
  In response to the Covenant School shooting that claimed the lives of 
three innocent children and three staff members, Representatives Jones, 
Pearson, and Johnson protested on the floor of the Tennessee House. 
They were calling for long-overdue commonsense gun reform that would 
help save the lives of children and keep our communities from becoming 
war zones.
  They engaged in good trouble, similar to what Congressman John Lewis 
did when he sat on this very floor to demand action to end gun 
violence.
  What the ``Tennessee Three'' did was righteous, yet instead of 
joining the calls to keep our communities safe, extremist Republicans 
retaliated by expelling Representatives Jones and Pearson, two young 
Black male lawmakers.
  Actions of civil disobedience by Black men and women have been the 
impetus of change in our Nation, from boycotts to peaceful protests to 
sit-ins. I know we like to romanticize the civil rights movement, but 
let's be clear: It

[[Page H1750]]

was not long ago that dogs were sicced on young people for wanting the 
right to vote, and their disobedience was in nonviolently persisting.
  Representatives Jones and Pearson's only ``disobedience'' was in 
being vocal and unapologetic about gun violence in this Nation and 
about being Black.
  Unfortunately, throughout our history, Black people fighting for a 
stronger democracy and a more perfect Union have been silenced and shut 
down by white supremacy. When asked to make a choice between democracy 
and white supremacy, those in the Tennessee Legislature chose white 
supremacy, ignorantly presuming that this could happen without any 
attention, but they were wrong.
  There is a long history of attacks against Black legislators going 
back to the Reconstruction era or even the case against civil rights 
advocate Julian Bond and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell.
  Tennessee Republicans managed to expel two duly elected Black 
legislators, but the vote against Representative Johnson, a White 
woman, failed.
  We cannot ignore the racial undertones of this incident and the 
efforts to temporarily disenfranchise Black voters and muzzle Black 
voices. Was it the color of these young men's skin, their age, their 
hair?
  As a Black legislator, I know what it feels like to have to explain 
my very presence in these spaces. Sadly, my story is not unique. It is 
the story of individuals in Black and Brown communities everywhere.
  That is why I introduced a resolution to immediately condemn the 
actions of the Tennessee Legislature and to recognize this as an attack 
on the very heart of our democracy.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) for 
joining the resolution with me. He is a true advocate for the people of 
Tennessee.
  In addition, I am proud to work with my colleagues in the 
Congressional Black Caucus who reached out to Representatives Jones and 
Pearson and assured them that they have our support.
  My colleagues stand by me today as we demand more from a country 
founded on the principles of liberty and justice for all because it is 
clear that we live in a nation where liberty and justice are only 
granted for some.
  I am glad that both Representatives Jones and Pearson have been 
reinstated as interim representatives so that they can continue to 
serve their constituents. Their municipal governments saw the 
importance of getting them back to work. They have it right. The 
Tennessee House had it wrong. The fact that it took national outrage 
and the shaming of the legislature of Tennessee is absurd.

  I will continue to work with my CBC colleagues to call out attacks on 
our democracy in Black communities across the country as we work to 
advance racial equity and address the needs of Black Americans because 
these young men were fighting to end gun violence.
  As you have heard, guns are the leading cause of death for children 
and teens, and Black men are 10 times more likely to be killed by gun 
violence. They were speaking truth to reality, and they were silenced.
  I don't know why the truth is so scary, but that is why I am so proud 
to be part of the CBC, to make sure that we are reminding people of the 
truth every single day.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 2 minutes remaining.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Virginia (Mrs. McClellan).
  Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Horsford and 
Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick and Jackson for convening this 
Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with my CBC colleagues in 
support of the ``Tennessee Three'' and in staunch opposition to the 
dangerous precedent set by Tennessee Republicans.
  Just 10 days after three children and three adults were brutally and 
tragically murdered, rather than working to prevent that tragedy from 
happening again, Tennessee Republicans expelled Representatives Justin 
Jones and Justin Pearson in a gross abuse of power, a blatant 
infringement of free speech, and a disenfranchisement of the voters of 
the 52nd and 86th Tennessee House districts.
  Attempts to compare the actions of the ``Tennessee Three'' to those 
of the January 6 insurrectionists to justify the expulsion trivializes 
the tragic events that occurred in this very building. Nobody died in 
the Tennessee House. A bullhorn is not a pipe bomb. Nobody called for 
members of the Tennessee Legislature to be hung.
  Instead, Tennessee Republicans have set a dangerous precedent that 
threatens the very foundational principles of American democracy by 
attempting to silence calls for gun reform. This is something that 
should concern every voter. A controlling party cannot invalidate the 
will of the people simply because they don't agree with the position of 
their colleagues or the peaceful exercise of their free speech.
  I stand with my CBC colleagues in denouncing this overreach. We will 
not stand idly by for such threats on democracy.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Horsford), our chairman.
  Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank our co-anchors and all the Members 
who spoke.
  I send one very clear message: The actions of the Tennessee 
Legislature led by the GOP were a direct assault on our democracy and 
on people's duly elected Representatives. It smacks of overt racism 
that they would expel two of the youngest Black men in their body for 
simply speaking on behalf of their constituents.
  This is still an ongoing threat that we should be concerned about 
because what happened in the Tennessee Legislature was a blow to our 
democracy, and if it can happen in Nashville, it can happen in 
communities all over our country.
  This should concern every American, including my Republican 
colleagues, because the hallmark of a vibrant and healthy democracy is 
the very thing that the Republicans in the Tennessee Legislature shut 
down: freedom of speech.
  The Congressional Black Caucus won't stand by and allow another Jim 
Crow era to take root while GOP legislatures abuse their power, as we 
saw in Tennessee.
  We stand with the ``Tennessee Three.'' We stand with the parents 
calling for gun violence to end in their communities. We stand for free 
speech. We stand for our democracy.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, in the wake of our country's 
129th mass shooting, Tennessee Legislators had the opportunity to set 
an example of what it means to respond and act on the needs of your 
constituents. After an attack that killed six people--including three 
9-year-old children, Tennessee Representatives had the chance to do 
something, anything, to keep Tennesseans safe from gun violence.
  On April 6, 2023 the Tennessee Legislature set an example, but it 
sure wasn't the right one. Instead of actually working to keep children 
safe from gun violence, Republicans in the Tennessee Legislature chose 
to expel two Black lawmakers who chose to stand alongside families, 
students and teachers for gun safety reforms.
  The expulsions of Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson 
were both unwarranted and undemocratic. Representatives Jones and 
Pearson were simply supporting student protestors and demanded that the 
Republican majority in the Legislature do more to protect communities 
from gun violence following the Covenant School Shooting.
  Now Representatives Jones and Pearson weren't the only legislators 
who joined the protestors, but they were the only two expelled which 
makes it clear that racism is at the root of these anti-democratic 
expulsions. It was an attempt to both silence Black leaders and 
undermine Black voters who sent Representatives Jones and Pearson to 
the State Capitol in the first place.
  Let's be clear: this is not an isolated incident. State legislatures 
in the South have a history of silencing Black lawmakers and 
unfortunately my home State is one of the main offenders. In 1966, the 
Georgia General Assembly voted to refuse to seat a newly elected Julian 
Bond after he used his constitutional right to free speech in protest 
of the United States' war in Vietnam. Mr. Bond was ultimately seated in 
the legislature and went on to serve for 20 years in the Georgia 
General Assembly.

[[Page H1751]]

  In 2017, I was elected to the same seat Julian Bond held in the 
Georgia State Senate. Nearly one year after being duly elected to 
serve, I was arrested inside the Georgia State Capitol while doing my 
job and standing with my constituents demanding that every vote be 
counted in November 2018.
  As I watched the events unfold in Tennessee, the parallels struck me 
and reminded me that free speech in this country doesn't always apply 
to Black voices like mine.
  Free speech is at the foundation of any healthy democracy and it is 
the very thing Republicans in Tennessee chose to shut down when they 
expelled Representatives Jones and Pearson. This should sound an alarm 
for every American because as history teaches us, actions that go 
unchecked only repeat themselves--again, and again, and again.
  Though Representatives Jones and Pearson were rightfully reappointed 
to their seats, we cannot ignore the fact that what happened in 
Tennessee was yet another blow in the continued assault on democracy. 
And on top of it, the expulsions were completely out of step with the 
voices of the people--an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that 
common-sense gun safety laws are necessary to save lives.
  We have a moral responsibility to reject any and all actions that 
threaten our democracy, particularly those targeted toward Black people 
and communities who have systemically been silenced for far too long.
  Tonight, I stand with my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues to say 
`no more.' That's why I've co-sponsored Representative Sydney Kamlager-
Dove's resolution condemning the expulsions of Representatives Justin 
Jones and Justin Pearson from the Tennessee Legislature, and I 
encourage all of my colleagues who claim to stand on the side of 
democracy to do the same.

                          ____________________