[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2091-S2093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING THE 246TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THE FLAG OF THE
UNITED STATES AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, I rise today to share a resolution of
support for the Pledge of Allegiance as an expression of patriotism and
to honor the 246th anniversary of the creation of our U.S. flag.
Today, we celebrate Flag Day. As we pause to recognize all that our
flag represents, let us also honor those who have sacrificed everything
to defend it.
In 2002, Senator Tom Daschle raised a similar resolution with
unanimous support from the Senate. It passed on the floor uneventfully.
Today, I ask this body to reaffirm our support of the Pledge of
Allegiance.
I rise today also to honor a Hoosier who understood the innate value
of the Pledge of Allegiance to our civic education. In 1969, Red
Skelton, the American entertainer who was well known for his program
``The Red Skelton Hour,'' wrote a speech on the importance of the
pledge. Reflecting on his time in Vincennes, IN--not many miles from
where I was born and raised in Jasper--he spoke about the values
instilled in the students by one of his high school teachers. After the
performance of the speech, CBS received 200,000 requests for copies.
The speech would go on to be sold as a single by Columbia Records and
performed at the White House for President Nixon. To honor Mr.
Skelton's memory and the importance of the pledge, I will recite his
speech today on the Senate floor.
In the words of Mr. Red Skelton, as applicable today as it was many
years ago:
When I was a small boy in Vincennes, Indiana, I heard, I
think, one of the most outstanding speeches I ever heard in
my life. I think it compares with the Sermon on the Mount,
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and Socrates' speech to the
students.
We had just finished reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and
he [Mr. Lasswell, the Principal of Vincennes High School]
called us all together and he says: `[Uh] boys and girls, I
have been listening to you recite the Pledge of Allegiance
all semester, and it seems it has become monotonous to you.
Or, could it be, you do not understand the meaning of each
word?
If I may, I would like to recite the pledge and give you a
definition for each word.
I--Me; an individual; a committee of one.
Pledge--Dedicate all of my worldly good to give without
self-pity.
Allegiance--My love and my devotion.
To the Flag--Our standard. ``Old Glory''; a symbol of
courage. And wherever she waves, there is respect, because
your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, ``Freedom
is everybody's job.''
``Of the United''--That means we have all come together.
States--Individual communities that have united into 48
great States; 48 individual communities with pride and
dignity and purpose; all divided by imaginary boundaries, yet
united to a common cause, and that's love of country--
And, of course, 48 States dates when that was done--
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Of America.
And to the Republic--A Republic: a sovereign state in which
power is invested into the representatives chosen by the
people to govern; and the government is the people; and it's
from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the
people.
For which it stands.
One Nation--Meaning ``so blessed by God.''
Under God.
Indivisible--Incapable of being divided.
With Liberty--Which is freedom; the right of power for one
to live his own life without fears, threats, or any sort of
retaliation.
And Justice--The principle and qualities of dealing fairly
with others.
For all--For All. That means, boys and girls, it's as much
your country as it is mine.
Afterwards, Mr. Lasswell asked his students to recite the Pledge of
Allegiance together with newfound appreciation for the words.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of
America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
I call upon the U.S. Senate to recommit to the meaning of these
words. This is why today, on National Flag Day, I am requesting
unanimous consent from my colleagues that my resolution expressing
support of the Pledge of Allegiance is passed.
Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent
that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 252, which is
at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 252) celebrating the 246th
anniversary of the creation of the flag of the United States
and expressing support for the Pledge of Allegiance.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider
be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action
or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 252) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
(The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
Mr. BRAUN. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Oswaldo Paya Way
Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, this week the Senate unanimously passed my
bipartisan legislation to rename the street in front of the Cuban
Embassy in Washington, DC, ``Oswaldo Paya Way.''
Oswaldo Paya was a dissident and a fighter for freedom in Cuba of
unrelenting passion and dedication. He was someone who stood up against
the Castro regime. He had incredible courage. He spoke up for human
rights. He spoke up for free speech. He spoke up for democracy. And 11
years ago, Oswaldo Paya was murdered by the Cuban communist government.
On July 22, 2012, Paya left his house with three other people,
including Harold Cepero, to go visit friends. From the start of the
journey, their car was followed. On the way, the Cuban security
services drove Paya's car off the road, killing both him and Cepero.
There has never been any doubt about who was responsible for these
murders. Indeed, just this week, the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights released its long-awaited report on the case. The determination
was clear and conclusive in confirming what we have known all along.
Paya had long been a thorn in the side of the Castros and the regime,
even from a young age. He was the only person at school who refused to
join the Communist Youth. As a teenager, he publicly opposed the
communist crackdown on protesters in Czechoslovakia who were fighting
for freedom, and he was punished with 3 years in prison.
Paya went on to found the Varela Project, which sought a referendum
on Cuba's communist system. Their demands were simple: democratic
government, religious liberty, freedom of expression, and the economic
freedom to start businesses. Paya managed to get 11,000 signatures to
support the Valera Project to petition the regime to hold a referendum.
And, eventually, over 20,000 people supported the cause, but the Cuban
regime refused to hold it.
Paya's fight for freedom made him a target of the Communist Party in
Cuba. They harassed him. They tried to intimidate him. They arrested
him numerous times and, ultimately, they murdered him.
Paya's friend and the driver of the car said that when he awoke after
the crash, he was confronted at the hospital by a regime operative, and
the hospital was flooded with uniformed military personnel. Under
extreme duress, drugged, and threatened with death by regime officials,
he signed a document falsely exonerating the regime.
That is how important it was to the communists to immediately try to
hide their crimes and avoid accountability. It is imperative that they
fail in this task.
I am heartened that, yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed this
bipartisan legislation that I led to rename the street in front of the
Cuban Embassy here in Washington, DC, after Paya.
I want to thank Senator Durbin, who led this effort with me, along
with Senator Rubio, Senator Menendez, Senator Rick Scott, and Senator
Cardin--all who joined with me in this bipartisan effort. This week the
Senate spoke in one unanimous voice, and it was a voice speaking out
for freedom.
I also want to acknowledge the tireless work of Paya's daughter, Rosa
Maria, who has fought tenaciously and never wavered in pursuing and
advocating her father's legacy. She is an incredible, courageous,
powerful leader in her own right, and together we have sat down and
discussed ways of advancing the cause of justice in Cuba. We will
continue doing so.
This is the second time that the Senate has passed this bipartisan
legislation. In the previous Congress, the House of Representatives
declined to take it up. But I urge our colleagues in the House to take
it up and pass it this year, and I have a high level of confidence that
the House will do that. We need to make this a law, to put it on Joe
Biden's desk, and to rename the street outside of the Cuban Embassy.
Now, when we change the street name, we are not merely changing
signs. It can be a reminder--indeed, a forceful one--that shines a
light of truth on the regime. Changing the name of the street means
that anyone who wants to write to the Cuban Embassy will have to write
Oswaldo Paya's name, or, if you need to go there, you will have to look
up the address and see his name. Members of the Cuban regime who deal
with the embassy will have to acknowledge that Paya existed. Their
efforts to erase his existence and his legacy failed.
I have told this story before, but it is worth retelling because it
illustrates just how much of an impact renaming a street in front of an
embassy can be.
A few years ago, I introduced legislation to rename the street in
front of the Chinese Embassy ``Liu Xiaobo Plaza,'' after the famed
Nobel peace laureate and democracy activist in China who was wrongfully
imprisoned in China.
After multiple iterations on the Senate floor, my bill ended up
passing the Senate--a Democrat Senate with a Democrat majority. My bill
passed the Senate unanimously. Unfortunately, the House of
Representatives failed to take that bill up as well. It was
infuriating.
However, at the beginning of the Trump administration, in 2017, I was
having breakfast with Rex Tillerson, then the new Secretary of State,
at his office at Foggy Bottom. We were talking about the challenges
facing America, and he had recently just met with his counterpart, the
Chinese Foreign Minister.
Secretary Tillerson said that the Foreign Minister from China told
him that China had three critical foreign policies, at which point Rex
shook his head and said: Ted, it was the damndest thing. One of their
top three priorities was stopping you from renaming the street in front
of their Embassy in DC.
That is how concerned--that is how terrified--Xi and his communist
cronies were of the world being reminded on a daily basis about Liu
Xiaobo.
Ultimately, I told Secretary Tillerson the following, which is that
Liu Xiaobo had passed away at that point but that his widow, Liu Xia,
was
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still in China. China would not let her leave. She had never gone to
collect the over $1 million that she was due for her husband winning
the Nobel Peace Prize.
So I told Secretary Tillerson: You tell the Chinese Government, if
they release Liu Xia--if they allow her to leave and escape to
freedom--I will stop pushing this particular bill, but if they don't, I
will keep pushing it, and we will pass it into law. You can let him
know it is not a bluff, because I have already passed it unanimously
through the Senate once and will do it again, and this time the House
will pass it as well.
Within a matter of weeks, the communist government in China released
Liu Xia and let her escape. That is how powerful shining a light of
truth on a despotic regime can be.
Renaming the street outside of the Cuban Embassy sends a powerful
message to the Cuban people that their struggle for freedom will not go
unnoticed or be forgotten; that the world is watching, and their heroic
efforts are not in vain. Their fight for freedom resonates deeply with
people across the globe.
By passing this legislation, the U.S. Senate has made a powerful
statement of solidarity with the people of Cuba and is a resolute
condemnation of the oppressive regime that silenced a brave voice for
freedom. The Senate has spoken with one voice, and that voice has
demanded ``Cuba libre''--a free Cuba--an end to the totalitarian and
despotic state.
I urge our colleagues in the House to take up this bill and pass this
bipartisan legislation swiftly.
Let us come together as one, as the U.S. Congress, and force the
communist regime to do what utterly terrifies them--to say Oswaldo
Paya's name--to say his name.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able
to complete my remarks before the vote starts.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Remembering John McCoy
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to honor
distinguished Washington State senator, Tribal leader, and my friend
John Richard McCoy.
State Senator McCoy dedicated his life and career to public service.
John served in the Air Force for two decades. He was a steadfast and
fearless leader for the Tulalip Tribes in the State of Washington. And
he was one of the longest serving Native legislators in Washington
State history.
His story is an inspiration and testament. He overcame unbelievable
odds. And most importantly, he showed what one person can achieve in
the service of others. John led a life and career that will be
remembered for generations.
He was born in 1943 in Washington. He was born in the middle of World
War II and started his career as a commercial fisherman in Puget Sound
before he joined the Air Force. He served in the Air Force for 20
years, retiring as a technical sergeant at Andrews Air Force Base in
Maryland, near here.
He was then recruited as a computer programmer before computer
programming was really hip and was assigned to staff the Reagan White
House situation room. His skills as a computer programmer and technical
expertise led the late Stan Jones--one of our other Tribal legends who
was then Chair of the Tulalip Tribes--to recruit him back to Washington
to help transform the Tribe's communications system. At the time, the
Tribe was struggling to build the infrastructure that was needed to
take advantage of economic development and continue to move forward
with their plans.
But John took this project and telecommunications infrastructure and
helped the Tribe build one of its greatest economic successes. The Quil
Ceda Village is about a 500-acre unique business park that was approved
in 2001. It was so successful that in 2005, the Puget Sound Business
Journal named him Executive of the Year for his contributions to the
successful project. He not only brought computers and high-speed
internet access to the village, he made the whole thing a reality for
the Tribe.
John McCoy never lost his ideas about public service. In 2003, he was
elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, and he served
our State legislature for 17 years. Senator McCoy served the 38th
Legislative District in Northwest Washington covering Tulalip, Everett,
and Marysville. During that time, he became a standout legislator for
the State of Washington. He was a tireless advocate for K-12 education,
healthcare, the environmental policies, and, most importantly, he was
outspoken on Tribal issues.
One important piece of legislation John championed and created was
the ``Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State''
curriculum which is now taught in all Washington State public schools.
``Since Time Immemorial,'' endorsed by all of Washington State's 29
federally recognized Tribes, is a curriculum that focuses on their
history in the State of Washington. The lessons help students
understand the importance of treaties, the history of Tribes in the
Pacific Northwest, and the challenges of reservation life. It also
teaches students the influence of geography and where Tribes are
located in the State of Washington--and, importantly, the distinct
cultures of the 29 federally recognized Tribes in Washington State. The
knowledge our students are gaining about Tribes is invaluable. And this
is just one example of Senator McCoy's leadership in the State of
Washington.
He also helped expand dental care. He passed legislation requiring
telecommunications companies to provide call location information to
emergency responders. He helped emergency responders locate victims and
patients more quickly. And he passed a bill that allowed our State to
provide jurisdiction to Tribes over criminal and civil matter on Tribal
lands to Federal and Tribal governments. These were all important
roles, and we can never give enough thanks to him and his family for
his contributions.
He also served in leadership roles. Senator McCoy was elected by his
colleagues to serve as caucus chair for the then Washington State
Senate Democrats. He served as chair of the National Caucus of Native
American State Legislators, playing a Tribal leadership role
nationally. And something he always took pride in was not only serving
the Tribe he grew up in, but he took great pride in serving the rest of
Everett and Marysville. He never lost sight of what it meant to
represent the people of the 38th District. That is the kind of person
he was, dedicated to his Tribe, but also dedicated to all his
neighbors.
He retired from the Washington State Senate in April of 2020, and he
said, ``Through the changes in committees, leadership roles and even
chambers over the course of my legislative career, it was always an
immense privilege to represent my neighbors . . . I am deeply grateful
for that privilege.''
Senator John McCoy will go down in our State's history as one of our
most effective local leaders, someone who came up against roadblocks
and found ways to bypass those roadblocks to get progress for our
State.
He will be missed by all of us, especially his wife of 58 years,
Jeannie McCoy--my heart goes out to her and her family--his siblings;
his children: Angela McCoy, Sheila Hillaire, and Cara Tohanniep; and
his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
We all thank you for sharing your father with us. He will be missed
not only as a leader in our State, but also a leader that helped us
across the United States to better understand Indian Country and
certainly the leadership of the Tulalip Tribe.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote
occur immediately.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Cortez Masto). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
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