[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14027]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          THE TRAGEDY IN INDIA

  (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues have made the 
case for the extension of the Voting Rights Act, and I echo their 
sentiments. When this matter comes to the floor, if it comes, and it 
should today be made in order as a rule, then I will have an 
opportunity to speak more in that regard.
  But today I rise, in addition to asking in the world's oldest 
democracy that we extend the Voting Rights Act, that we recognize that 
on yesterday the world's largest democracy was attacked in a 
significant and condemnatory way.
  These events seem to take place on days of the 11th, and yesterday in 
India, despicable acts took place by those who would take the lives of 
innocents. In Madrid, in London, in Bali, the same thing happened.
  I do acknowledge the fact that hurriedly yesterday the foreign 
minister of Pakistan condemned those bombings, and I commend him in 
that regard.
  It was said earlier and reported today in one of our newspapers that 
in Europe it was said after September 11, ``We are all Americans now.'' 
Today, after yesterday in India, ``We are all Indians now.''

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