[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12439]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IS THERE A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                           HOMELAND SECURITY?

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Texans woke up to stories like this 
one in today's Houston Chronicle that reports on something that is just 
``unbelievable.'' On Wednesday, May 14, one day before the Texas 
legislative Democrats started returning to Austin, the Texas Department 
of Public Safety, DPS, ordered all records and photos gathered in the 
search for them to be destroyed.
  The order addressed to ``Captains'' states, ``Any notes, 
correspondence, photos, etc., that were obtained pursuant to the 
absconded House of Representatives members should be destroyed. No 
copies kept.''
  Who originated this order, this destruction?
  Yesterday, Secretary Ridge again refused to release a full transcript 
and tape of the discussions between our DPS and the Department of 
Homeland Security.
  What are they hiding? Why is a law enforcement agency in Texas 
destroying records and a Federal agency refusing to release them? Were 
there political efforts to involve Federal law enforcement for purely 
political and partisan reasons? What are these agencies trying to cover 
up?
  It does not pass the smell test.
  While we have new international terrorist threats, a new high alert 
yesterday, we were looking for Texas Democrats last week. Secretary 
Ridge and the Department of Homeland Security are needlessly suffering 
a credibility gap.
  Mr. Speaker, if there is nothing incriminating or embarrassing on the 
tapes, then there is nothing to cover up. Release the tapes and all the 
records. Do not destroy them.

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