[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23616]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE SAGA OF THE McKAY FAMILY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity of 
being here today. Hopefully I'll be here again tomorrow and the next 
day as well. And I do want to address an issue that is close to me as 
well as somewhat difficult. I admit that I have a romantic view of the 
world. Much of it is shaped by a lifetime having grown up watching 
television shows and movies. I like British mysteries and have enjoyed 
the fact that in Utah we have more of them available on PBS than they 
have back here in Washington. I think I've seen every episode of Law 
and Order and NCIS, and I grew up on Perry Mason which, once again, 
back home in Utah, there was a rerun every night on television at 
10:30.
  And I like those because in every sense of the word, each of these 
shows a good guy and a bad guy, and eventually the good guys were able 
to prevail against the bad guys. But I have to admit, much of that was 
the spin of Hollywood. So as I have looked in my life I try and see the 
world in maybe this dichotomy that's unfortunate, of good versus bad. 
To me the Drug Enforcement Agency, a part of the judicial system, 
Judiciary Department of the United States, were always the good guys. 
Their job was to try and take drug traffickers off the street, for 
indeed, those illegal drugs coming into our society harmed society. 
They harmed kids.
  I had students I taught in school who I saw the byproduct of having 
them on illegal drugs. And I have seen the court system and been able 
to talk to those who work in the court system that recognize that even 
though the court case may be one of assault or one of burglary or 
vandalism, in each case there is often the core problem being illegal 
drugs.
  Now, with that as a background, I want to introduce you to, today and 
tomorrow, a family in my hometown of Brigham City, the McKay family. I 
know this family primarily because of the four kids of the McKay 
family. I taught them all in school. Two boys and two girls, varying 
stages of academic ability, but in each case, I recognized within each 
of those kids there was a core quality. These were good, decent and 
honest kids. And I think my attitude towards the McKay family was 
shaped by the respect I have for the kids that came from that family.
  Dr. McKay, in our community, has had a 30-year career as a respected 
board certified orthopedic surgeon. I guess the best compliment I can 
give is that when my own kid broke his arm, we went to Dr. McKay to 
have it set and fixed. Dr. McKay is an Army veteran, serving 10 years 
in the military, retiring with the position of a lieutenant colonel. 
For 20 years he's been part of the Boxelder Search and Rescue Team. He 
was part of the Boxelder Medical Examiners team. The Boy Scouts of 
America have awarded him the Silver Beaver Award. When I was announcing 
football games at the local high school he was down on the field 
assisting with medical needs on a volunteer basis. He plays the organ 
in church.
  I know that this family has supported me politically when I first 
ran. I hope it was because they saw something in me. My fear is that I 
was the first person from Brigham City city running for federal office, 
and therefore they were supportive. I also have worked with his wife in 
charities. This family has a criminal record that has nothing higher 
than parking tickets, and I have never thought of this family as a 
threat to my kids. But on June 5, 2008, there was a raid by the DEA on 
the home of the McKay family. Two weeks later, after this first 4-hour 
raid, there was another raid to find a copy of their will which, if 
they asked, they could have simply got. And in the fall of that same 
year another raid on his office with six armed agents asking for charts 
that they would have provided had they simply asked.
  I was surprised when the first raid took place. But I decided I'll 
have to wait for a judgment because after all, the DEA are part of the 
good guys. Obviously, there has to be some kind of a reason. And in our 
system of justice, we are insured by the Constitution of a speedy trial 
and then a jury of the peers deciding guilt or innocence. At least 
that's what I used to teach my kids in civic classes. We are now in 
October 2009, 14 months later. I still do not know whether there is 
guilt or innocence in this situation because, in that entire period of 
time, there has not been a single charge filed against this family. 
However, the personal property of this family has been confiscated and 
not returned in that period of time.
  At that June occurrence in 2008, there was a hard knock at the door. 
Dr. McKay said he was fearful at some particular time that had he not 
answered it quickly they may have kicked in the door. At that time he 
did open the door, and what happens in that, Mr. Speaker, is quite 
simply this: It is my intention of returning tomorrow and explaining 
what took place at that time and at that place, and to try and go on 
what has happened on this particular family, because it breaks my 
vision and my image of what the future should be. Mr. Speaker, I 
appreciate the time, and I hope to return tomorrow as I continue the 
saga of the McKay family.

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