[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22245]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

  (Mr. GOHMERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. GOHMERT. This week, the conference committee will meet on Defense 
authorization. Defense authorization: we are supposed to provide for 
the common defense. That is the number one job of this government, not 
all the social engineerings going on. And guess what? We're going to be 
having a discussion over a hate crimes bill in Defense authorization. 
We're going to be talking about defending America and, in the same 
bill, taking away the rights of Americans.
  There is not one law that will be covered by that hate crimes bill 
that is not already in existence in every State in the Union. Every one 
of those crimes is covered.
  James Byrd's defendants got the death penalty, the two most culpable. 
This will not do anything. But if you want to have a discussion on hate 
crimes, let's have it head up on hate crimes. Let's don't stick it into 
something as important as Defense authorization.

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