[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                CONDEMNING REMARKS OF WILLIAM J. BENNETT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, this evening I rise before this House 
condemning the words spoken yesterday by former Secretary of Education 
William Bennett. It is truly reprehensible that as we try to heal the 
wounds that were laid bare following the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, 
that powerful elements in the Republican Party still insist on 
espousing racial rhetoric while trying to divide Americans based on the 
color of their skin.
  I was shocked, I was appalled that the former Secretary of Education, 
William Bennett, a prominent member of the Republican Party, would go 
on public radio and say, ``But I do know that it is true that if you 
wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you 
could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would 
go down.''
  Mr. Speaker, as a proud black American who was honorably discharged 
from the U.S. Army, I know that this is precisely the kind of 
insensitive, hurtful, and ignorant rhetoric that Americans have grown 
tired of.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bennett still has power and influence within this 
Republican administration; and he is representative of the ignorant, 
inconsiderate politics that have been displayed in this government 
today. And I am calling on my friends, the responsible Republicans, to 
rebuke Mr. Bennett for his damaging statement.
  Where is the indignation from the GOP, as one of their prominent 
members talks about aborting an entire race of Americans as a way of 
ridding this country of crime? How ridiculous. How asinine. How insane 
can one be?
  Mr. Bennett's remarks were thoughtless, mean-spirited, and well, well 
off the mark. We all know that aborting black babies would not decrease 
or erase the crime rates in this country. Aborting the Republican 
policies which have hurt the disadvantaged, the poor, and average 
Americans for the benefit of large corporations would be a much more 
sane and reasonable way to address crime and poverty in this Nation.
  Americans are sick of the poisonous, divisive atmosphere that is 
prevalent in this Republican era. Americans want reform. Americans want 
change. Americans want an end to the culture of corruption and 
bitterness that the Republican Party and this House have come to 
embody.
  It is ironic that the same people who promised America that they 
would clean up the system 11 years ago, have used their power and 
influence to benefit their own agenda and defile the system even more. 
It is time for a change, Mr. Speaker; and the American people are eager 
to have their own cause put ahead of the politicians that were elected 
to represent them.
  Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, I do not know his reasoning, I do not know what 
makes the man tick, I do not know what riles him up, I do not know 
where he gets these asinine remarks from; but maybe he is auditioning 
for a new reality TV show. I would suggest it be called ``Racists Gone 
Wild.''
  Mr. Speaker, let me remind this body of the words written in the book 
of Mica, 6:8, where it is written: ``But what do I require of thee, O 
man, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your 
God.''
  Mr. Speaker, I have introduced today H. Res. 473, which concludes: 
``Be it resolved, that the House of Representatives condemns the 
comments made by William J. Bennett on his radio program, `Morning in 
America,' as outrageous racism of the most bigoted and ignorant kind.'' 
Further it says that the House resolves that it will ``condemn all 
manifestations and expresions of racism and ethnic intolerance.''
  Mr. Speaker, these racist remarks by William J. Bennett cannot go 
unanswered. We must do all that we can to rise above the racism, the 
venom expressed by William J. Bennett.

                          ____________________