[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 72 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3082-H3085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JUSTICE FOR TSA WORKERS
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Green
of Texas was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority
leader.)
Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. Speaker, and still I rise and still I rise,
and I rise today as an unbought, unbossed, and liberated Democrat. I
rise today to speak in the name of we, the people, Mr. Speaker, who
believe in liberty and justice for all as presented to us and as we
pledge in the pledge of allegiance: liberty and justice for all.
I rise in the name of liberty and justice for all, Mr. Speaker,
because while there are many people in this country who are not
receiving the justice for all, I will focus today on one group of
people. I assure you this could go on endlessly if time permitted, but
I want to focus on one group of people today because they have been
treated unjustly.
I focus on a group of people who are there to protect us, to defend
us, to assure us that when we board a plane and when we are at 35,000
feet, at 500 miles per hour, we will be there safe. We will be secure.
There is nothing more important than the structural integrity of that
plane when you are at 35,000 feet, moving at 500 miles per hour.
I rise in the name of justice for the TSA workers, Mr. Speaker, and I
rise in the name of justice for the TSA workers for many reasons, a
multiplicity of reasons. Today, I have to focus on just a couple: One,
as I made my way through the airport in Houston, Texas, when we were
having the shutdown, as it were, and I made my way to my gate, my
destination was Washington, D.C. As I did this, one of the TSA workers
approached me, and her words to me were words that penetrated really to
my heart. She said: ``Help us, help us.''
I want her to know I have not forgotten her. I have not forgotten the
TSA workers. I have shown my solidarity with the TSA workers by
withholding payment to me until they get payment for themselves. I
actually asked the payroll department here in the Congress to withhold
my pay. I want to be in solidarity with them because this is an
injustice being perpetrated upon them, and I want them to know that I
stand with them.
As I said, there are many others who are suffering similar injustice,
but I want to focus on them today because of a commitment that I made
to this worker. I told her I wouldn't forget them, and I want to help
them.
So above and beyond what we will ultimately do at some point--and I
am not sure who knows when--but at some point, we will restore the
proper pay to them at the proper time. However, that will not eradicate
the injustice that has been perpetrated upon them and that is being
perpetuated even as I speak now.
I rise today to say that I have examined the salaries of the TSA
workers. In so doing, I have concluded that not only should they get
their salaries restored and paid at the proper times, but they should
also get a raise. The TSA workers deserve a raise.
I have a chart with me. Many of you are familiar with my cane. I have
a chart with me, and I use my cane as a pointer. This chart will
validate what I say about the TSA workers being underpaid. They do a
tremendous job. They protect us. They cannot make a mistake. They have
to be right 100 percent of the time. That one time that they miscue can
cause someone to be harmed or possibly a life to be lost at 35,000
feet, 500 miles per hour.
I have examined their salaries, and here is what I found: That the
salary first year for a TSA worker is $40,000. Well, I juxtaposed that
salary to a firefighter in Houston, Texas: First year, $59,000; Houston
police officer, $78,500. These salaries, as you can see, exceed what
the TSA worker receives first year, first-year salaries.
I have gone on to show second-year salaries, ten-year salaries. I am
proposing, pursuant to a bill that I have already filed, H.R. 8411. I
shall read what it says under the title of the bill: ``To increase the
annual rate of basic pay for career employees of the Transportation
Security Administration''--that is the TSA--``and for other purposes.''
It goes on to say in section 2: ``TSA employee pay increase.'' That
is the style of the section. The language of it under (A) reads in
general: ``Beginning on the first day of the applicable pay period''--
some things bear repeating. ``Beginning on the first day of the
applicable pay period, the annual rate of basic pay for each career
employee shall be increased by 15 percent.''
By the way, quite frankly, I would like to have it be more than 15
percent, but I am going to say 15 percent now because I have got to
start someplace, and I am juxtaposing their salaries to the salaries of
Houston firefighters and Houston police officers.
Now, let's take a look at the chart with the 15 percent increase in
mind. First year again: TSA officer, $40,000 now, 15 percent increase,
the raise will take them to $46,000 first year, $6,000 pay increase.
They earn every penny of it, and I would defend this anywhere, anytime,
anyplace in the presence of anyone. They earn every penny.
Houston firefighters first year are at $59,000, police $78,500. Well,
they will be at $46,000. As I said, I think that it should be more; but
I am juxtaposing, and I am going to use this as my starting point.
The second year, they will have $56,000 from $49,000. That is the
increase, again to $56,000, and the firefighters are at $62,000.
{time} 1120
By the way, the firefighters earn their money. The police officers
earn their money. This is not to say that they should not have what
they have. It is to say that the TSA officers are underpaid, that they
have not been treated justly. They have not been treated fairly. We are
talking about liberty and justice for all. Well, that has got to
include these TSA officers.
The second year is $56,000 with the raise from $49,000. The
firefighters are at $62,000 approximately. All of these are
approximations. The police officers are at $80,000.
Again, I think the TSA officers merit more. This is a starting point.
I then take us out to 10 years. In 10 years for a TSA officer you
have approximately $72,500. With the raise it is $83,000. That is the
raise of 15 percent in each of these classes that I have called to your
attention. The firefighter is at $71,000, and the police officer is at
$103,000 to $140,000. This is in Houston, Texas.
By the way, I think these police officers merit this pay. They earn
this pay. I think the firefighters merit the pay. They earn the pay. I
also think that the TSA officers earn the pay, and they deserve more
pay.
I am here in the Congress of the United States of America. I have the
ability to lobby on behalf of them, to speak on behalf of them, and to
speak on behalf of we the people. I believe that we the people would
want to see a 15 percent raise for the TSA officers who serve us with
great distinction across the length and breadth of our country.
This bill has been filed. I filed this bill just recently on April
17. Again, it is H.R. 8411. It is a bill ``To increase the annual rate
of basic pay for career employees of the Transportation Security
Agency, and for other purposes.'' And I will add now to increase that
pay to 15 percent.
This is justice. This is what justice looks like.
We see what their work product looks like when we pass through the
airports, and we understand now that when they are not properly paid
and the airports are understaffed, we understand how that impacts us
personally. We see what justice looks like. We see what the injustice
perpetrated upon them looks like. And we see how that injustice has
also been filtered down or filtered to--I don't know whether it is up
or down, but one way or another--the flying public because the flying
public then finds themselves missing planes. Planes are delayed.
We need to do more. Let's have them back to work with the pay that
they are receiving currently, and let's have them get it timely, but
let's also do this: Let's give them a 15 percent raise.
This is where I stand. This is where I stand, and I stand on these
words. The person who is to be quoted is not known to me, so I cannot
give proper attribution, but I can tell you they are not my words.
These words are important, and I think they speak well of what we must
do.
Some measure their lives by days and years. Others by
heartthrobs, passion, and tears. But the surest measure
under
[[Page H3083]]
God's Sun is what for others in your lifetime have you
done.
Let us do something for TSA workers, not only in our lifetime, but
let's do it as soon as possible so that we can make a difference for
them in their lifetimes.
I conclude on this topic, Mr. Speaker, but I now move to another
place to embrace another topic.
We the People
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, once again I rise. Once again I rise
to address we the people. Once again I rise to address we the people.
Those who believe in a government of the people, by the people, for the
people. Those who believe that all persons are created equal and
endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among them
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
We the people believe in liberty and justice for all. We the people
believe in something as simple and as basic as fair play, as respect,
being respectful, showing the proper courtesies, showing the country
that we understand that if the country is to have harmony within, we
the people have to respect each other within. We the people. I rise in
the name of we the people.
Today, as I rise in the name of we the people, I would remind us that
I am the Al Green who is not only unbought, not only unbossed, not only
unafraid, not only liberated, but also censured. I was censured but not
silenced; censured but not silenced.
My censure took place because in this very Chamber I, at a joint
session of Congress, reminded the President that he did not have a
mandate, a mandate to cut Medicaid, to cut Medicare, and Social
Security. Many members of the press will print that I said he didn't
have a mandate. They are being inaccurate, and they are misleading. I
think it is done with intentionality because they would want it said
that I said he didn't have a mandate, and then there would be a big
debate about it. I said he didn't have a mandate to cut Medicaid,
Medicare, and Social Security, and I still stand on this. And the
President went on to impose one of the biggest cuts on healthcare ever
seen, and we are still suffering from this today.
I rise in the name of we the people understanding the consequences of
the cuts that were made. I have had an experience with one of my
constituents, a constituent who needed a double lung transplant, a
constituent who saw his premiums go up exponentially to the extent that
he could not afford to pay for that premium that would allow him to
have the double lung transplant.
I rise on his behalf. His story is a story that needs to be heard and
needs to be told. That story is an important story--double lung
transplant. I rise on his behalf to show the injustice in what occurred
when I took my stand and called it to the attention of the country, the
injustice that occurred after I called it to the attention of the
country, and the country and the world paid attention and noticed that
the injustice took place. We exposed the injustice. It was exposed
right here in this House.
I rise today to mention that this man who needed this double lung
transplant, we had to help him to make sure he got his premiums paid,
and we did. He came to our office for help. We wanted to make sure that
he got that double lung transplant. I am proud and honored to say he
has received the double lung transplant, and he is doing well in spite
of, not because of, this President--in spite of.
This President doesn't respect the right of human beings to have good
healthcare. This is a human right. This is a right that all people
should have, especially in this the richest country in the world, good
healthcare.
The disrespect doesn't end there. It doesn't. This is a President who
has portrayed himself as the Pope. The President of the United States
of America has the audacity to portray himself as the Pope.
{time} 1130
The President published this depiction of himself as the Pope. I have
on this poster, I trust that it can be read at the bottom, but for fear
that it cannot, I will hold it up: Donald Trump is not the Pope.
We know this, and he should not depict himself as such, as the Pope.
I don't know why it would surprise us, to be quite candid with you, Mr.
Speaker, that he would do this after the way he has disrespected the
Latino community. He disrespected the Latino community by defining
persons who are here undocumented as illegals in such a way as to cause
all persons who are Latino, look like they are Latino, or caught
speaking Spanish, all persons, to become suspect. Under ICE, these
persons who have been suspect have been treated disrespectfully.
Mr. Speaker, you don't have to treat people in an inhumane way to
police them. You don't have to do it, and you surely don't have to kill
them. You don't have to kill them while they are kneeling or face down,
Mr. Speaker, shot, many times. You don't have to kill them as they are
driving past you in an automobile, Mr. Speaker. You don't have to do
that.
This is a disrespect for human life that this President is showing.
It is a disrespect for human life. I am not sure that it should
surprise us to see his disrespect for the Catholic Church and for
people who are the followers of Catholicism. It doesn't surprise me
that he would do it, but he shouldn't.
This level of disrespect is unbecoming the office and the officer who
holds the title of President of the United States of America. It is
unbecoming, but he didn't stop there.
He has depicted the Obamas in a very unpleasing, unpleasant,
disgraceful, and disdainful way. He has refused to apologize for a
video showing the Obamas as apes. I didn't bring the actual picture. I
have it.
People are very sensitive, and they don't want to see that. However,
we have to talk about that because this is disrespect for people of
color. Regardless as to who you are, it is disrespectful. It is
disrespectful of people of color. This is the same level of disrespect
and indecency that was utilized to enslave people in this country, the
United States of America.
Good Christians, many of them, not all, but a good many of them
justified the enslavement of human beings because in their theology,
the human beings were closer to apes than they were to the Homo
sapiens, the human beings that you and I happen to be a part of, that
class of human beings. This President went out of his way, it seems, to
do this and to disrespect the Obamas.
He didn't stop there. This President has the audacity and the
unmitigated gall to do something that is absolutely inane and insane.
He has portrayed himself as Jesus Christ. He has depicted himself as
Jesus Christ. You will see on this poster, Mr. Speaker, that I have
noted: Donald Trump is not Jesus.
Now, he can make specious statements and questionable statements
after he has done this and try to convince some people: Oh, no, I was
just pretending to be a physician. I was trying to show myself as a
physician.
Well, most physicians that I know don't have all of this taking place
as they are standing over a patient. They don't have what looks like an
eagle flying, planes flying through the air, and the Statue of Liberty.
They don't have persons looking in awe as the physician lays a hand on
a patient. They don't have what appears to be a person or an image of
someone that is humanlike, perhaps an angel with wings, above.
Mr. President, people are not so low of IQ, as you would say, as to
believe that you are not representing yourself as Jesus. You use that
term low IQ so you think all of us are low IQ people and all of us
would think you are a physician. Mr. President, we are not. People are
not. We the People are not, and We the People, Mr. Speaker, find this
disgraceful. We find it unacceptable.
We find it shameful, and We the People believe that you should
acknowledge that you were wrong. You don't have to apologize. Just say
you were wrong to do this, but you won't. You won't. That is because
you find yourself to be above all and above the law, and, in this
depiction, above humanity.
Mr. President, I want you to know that there will be a record for
posterity. There will be a record for posterity. Earlier I talked about
legislation that I have already filed. Now, Mr. President, I am going
to mention a resolution, legislation that I will file. I will file
legislation, Mr. President, so that those who look through the vista of
time will know that at least one person, there may be others, I am not
[[Page H3084]]
speaking for anybody but myself, so I say at least one person. There
may be many others, I don't know.
I do know what I will do. I don't speak for any political party. I
speak for myself and everybody who agrees with me, and I believe that
We the People have among us many who will agree.
I have this resolution that I will file.
Permit me to read the style of the resolution.
It reads: Resolution condemning President Donald J. Trump--
condemning--resolution condemning President Donald J. Trump for his
disgraceful, despicable, and disrespectful social media posts depicting
himself as Jesus Christ, diminishing the dignity of the Presidency, and
bringing disrepute to the office.
Diminishing the dignity and bringing disrepute to the Office of the
Presidency.
It would seem to me, Mr. President, that you knew or should have
known that this would be unacceptable. You knew or should have known.
In fact, I have made a few points with that language. Here in the
resolution, I have language that says: All who hold public trust,
especially those who hold the Nation's highest office, bear a
heightened responsibility to uphold respect for the diverse religious
beliefs of the American people within our population.
All of us, especially those who hold public trust.
Then I go on to add in the resolution: The President of the United
States of America knew or should have known acts by the President of
the United States of America that trivialize or exploit any religious
symbolism for personal or political purposes are inconsistent with the
spirit of mutual respect and dignity that underpin a pluralistic
society.
This is beneath the dignity of the Presidency, and the President knew
or should have known this.
I go on to say: The President of the United States knew or should
have known that respect for religions by the President is essential to
maintaining unity and mutual understanding among the people of all
faiths and backgrounds in the United States of America.
He knew or should have known.
{time} 1140
I am going to move now to what will be one of my last comments. The
President of the United States knew or should have known that the
Presidency is an office intended to embody the highest standards of
respect, integrity, and seriousness. Conduct such as this undermines
the essential qualities of dignity and respect and erodes the respect
for the office of the Presidency--the respect that the office is
intended to command.
The President knew or should have known that he is diminishing the
Presidency in the eyes of the world. It is not just a little thing. It
is not something of, ``Oh, that is just Donald. He is just
misbehaving.''
When we didn't stop him earlier, when he was depicting the Obamas as
he did, and we didn't stop him when he depicted himself as the Pope,
and we didn't stop him when he disrespected Latinos, he has now
devolved into this. This devolution is harmful to the Presidency.
As a result of what he has done to cause harm to the Presidency, I
have: It is resolved that the House of Representatives condemns
President Donald John Trump for his disgraceful, despicable, and
disrespectful Truth Social post depicting himself as Jesus Christ on
April 12, 2026, diminishing the dignity of the Presidency and bringing
disrepute to the office.
That is one of the things that we have resolved, but there is another
one. It is also resolved that Donald John Trump, President of the
United States of America, should state publicly that his depicting
himself as Jesus Christ was disgraceful and offensive--disgraceful and
offensive, not just to those who are Catholics but to all persons of
all religions.
It doesn't just end with this depiction. This is the genesis of it.
There are revelations yet to come as it relates to this. The President
knew or should have known that this kind of disrespect is not something
that we should tolerate, and I will not. Others may. Let them do what
they may. I do what I must.
This is why I will be filing this resolution. I will be filing this
resolution to condemn the President for this distasteful, disdainful,
and disrespectful behavior.
I could only say to this country: We have to stop him. I don't mean
physically, no. There are proper political and legal methodologies by
which he can be stopped. He has to be stopped.
He is out of control. This is a supreme, superb example of how far
out of control the President of the United States is. He has to be
stopped. He has to be stopped.
If we don't stop him, he will do what we all perceive he will do. We
the people know that this is what his plan is. His plan is to stay on
beyond his term of office. How do you know? Because that was his plan
at the end of his first term of office.
He incited the insurrection. He incited the insurrection. He incited
the insurrection. He intends to stay on, again, beyond his term of
office.
We the people can stop this. We can stop it before he causes harm
that is irreparable to our country, the image of the country, and the
people within the country.
We can stop it. There is one means that we have available to us that
we can employ, and I believe we the people must use it. I tried several
times, and I plan to try again. That is to impeach him.
Impeachment is a lawful, political process within the Constitution
that allows we the people to remove a President who has committed high
crimes and misdemeanors. Yes, we the people can do it.
By the way, I won't get into what high crimes and misdemeanors are
today, but I will tell you this: When Andrew Johnson was impeached, in
Article X of the Articles of Impeachment against Andrew Johnson, a high
crime and misdemeanor--or high misdemeanor as it was called then--was
his speaking ill of Congress. For speaking ill of Congress, Andrew
Johnson was impeached.
We the people decide what the high crime and misdemeanor is. There is
no appeal to any court when the President is impeached. We the people
make that determination.
We the people in this House of Representatives have more than enough
empirical evidence to conclude that impeachment is necessary. We but
only have to have the will to do it. The way is there.
This level of disrespect is indicative of where he is going. We the
people can stop him with impeachment. This is indicative of where he
thinks he should be. He has no problems with the word
``authoritarian.'' It does not really offend him.
In fact, given that he celebrates and tries to get authoritarians
reelected to office--doesn't always succeed. Given that he does this,
it appears that he wants to be classed and ranked and styled as an
authoritarian. The truth is, that is devolving. He has no problems with
that. He is devolving into a dictator in the United States of America.
Someone would say that is impossible, not in this country. It is
possible if we don't use the political tool of impeachment. It is
entirely possible. He has command of the military. He commands the
military in ways that are impeachable, but we have not done so. When I
say ``we,'' I really mean we here in the House of Representatives.
We have the empirical evidence. I am not going through the articles
that we might levy against him, but I want you to know that the
empirical evidence is there. We only but have to have the will. The way
is there.
He is devolving our society, our military--his means of managing it--
into a might-makes-right military. Might makes right by whatever means
he chooses--by whatever means he chooses--to accomplish the goal that
he chooses.
If he chooses to go to war without Congress, go to war. Might makes
right. It has been said by the Secretary of what I would like to call
Defense but is now the Secretary of War that we negotiate now with
bombs. That is how we negotiate, with bombs.
Might makes right, any means he chooses to accomplish a goal, and
then, at the end, he says: Look at what I have done. Couldn't have done
that if I had followed the Constitution. Well, every time he does this,
a little bit of
[[Page H3085]]
the Constitution becomes meaningless. At some point, we won't have a
Constitution that people will see as meaningful. We won't see it as
meaningful. We will see it as meaningless because the President walks
on it daily.
Might makes right. Any means he chooses--not necessary, but the means
that he chooses.
{time} 1150
This is where he is headed, from here to dictatorship. Yes, I am
among the first to say it, and I am saying it right here on the floor
of the House of Representatives.
Remember, unbought, unbossed, unafraid.
I say it here so that when I say it back in my community, I will tell
people I have already said that. Yes, he wants to be a dictator right
here in this country, the United States of America, and impeachment is
a means by which we can stop him.
We must move forward. We must stop him, remove him from office by
virtue of a trial in the Senate, remove him from office by his being
found guilty in the Senate. We must remove him from office, let him
leave in the shame and disgrace that he has earned.
He has earned shame and disgrace, and they know it. My brethren, my
friends, my colleagues, brothers and sisters across the aisle and on
this side of the aisle know it. He has earned it, and we should bestow
it upon him. Let him leave in shame and disgrace, that he richly should
be rewarded.
As he does so, let us remind ourselves that we will have done what is
expected under the Constitution of the United States of America. There
are those who would say, Mr. Speaker, that you shouldn't impeach him
because the Senate won't convict him.
Well, he will still be impeached, and that ought to be on his record.
There ought to be those among us who are willing to stand and show and
say: This is what he merits for his dastardly deeds done that are
contrary to the Constitution, that are impeachable by virtue of being
high crimes and misdemeanors.
Yes, let's let the record show that he was impeached again. He
doesn't want to be impeached, and there are people here who want to
impeach him, but they don't want to say so. I understand it. Well, I am
saying so, he should be impeached. I assure you that when all is said
and done, when the last word is written, after all of this kind of
insidious behavior, when the last word is said and the last word is
written, we the people will have spoken.
We the people will have the last word. Donald John Trump will be
impeached again.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from
engaging in personalities toward the President.
Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair and not to
a perceived viewing audience.
____________________