[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INQUIRY INTO THE DEATH OF PATRICK FINUCANE

  (Mr. NEAL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the decision today by the 
British Government to reopen the inquiry into the death of Patrick 
Finucane, who was brutally murdered in his home in front of his family 
in February of 1989.
  This high-profile murder of a human rights solicitor by loyalist 
gunmen connected to the British security forces was one of the most 
controversial and shocking events of the Troubles in the north of 
Ireland.
  Throughout my 35 years in Congress, I have been a steadfast supporter 
of the Finucane family and their tireless effort to get truth and 
justice. After years of public apologies, we are acknowledging today a 
state of collusion and numerous roadblocks that were set up.
  I welcome the British Secretary of State Hilary Benn's comments and 
his intention to proceed with reopening this case. Pat's wife, 
Geraldine, and their family are entitled to the truth in hopes that 
this decades-long ordeal can finally be put to rest.
  As co-chairman of the bipartisan Friends of Ireland Caucus, I will 
continue to advocate for the Finucane family as this process moves 
forward in our hopes that it is one more step toward peace, justice, 
and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.

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