[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3650-3656]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MERCED ASSEMBLY CENTER

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 129) recognizing the historical significance of the 
Merced Assembly Center to the Nation and the importance of establishing 
an appropriate memorial at that site to serve as a place for 
remembering the hardships endured by Japanese-Americans, so that the 
United States remains vigilant in protecting our Nation's core values 
of equality, due process of law, justice, and fundamental fairness.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 129

       Whereas, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt signed Executive Order No. 9066, authorizing the 
     forced internment of both United States citizens and legal 
     residents of Japanese ancestry during World War II;
       Whereas in the largest single relocation of individuals in 
     the history of our Nation, approximately 120,000 Japanese-
     Americans were forced into internment camps by the United 
     States Government in violation of their fundamental 
     constitutional rights;
       Whereas due to this unjust internment, these Japanese-
     Americans faced tremendous hardships, such as family 
     separation, the loss of their homes, businesses, jobs, and 
     dignity;
       Whereas following Executive Order No. 9066, Japanese-
     Americans in parts of Washington, Oregon, California, and 
     southern Arizona were ordered to report to assembly centers 
     before being removed to more permanent war relocation 
     centers;
       Whereas the Merced Assembly Center, located in Merced, 
     California, was the reporting site for 4,669 Japanese-
     Americans;
       Whereas as a young child, United States Congressman Mike 
     Honda and his family were held at the Merced Assembly Center 
     prior to being interned in Amache, Colorado, and his public 
     career has been dedicated to educating and preventing this 
     type of injustice from reoccurring;

[[Page 3651]]

       Whereas in 1998, then Assembly member Mike Honda authored 
     the World War II Internment of Japanese-Americans: California 
     Civil Liberties Public Education Act, which became California 
     public law in 1999 and serves as an important program to 
     educate the public about the internment;
       Whereas February 19th, the 67th anniversary of Executive 
     Order No. 9066, is known as the Day of Remembrance;
       Whereas the Merced Assembly Center Commemorative Committee 
     has been charged with the task of establishing a memorial to 
     recognize the historic tragedy that took place at the Merced 
     Assembly Center; and
       Whereas the unveiling ceremony for the memorial at the 
     Merced Assembly Center will take place on February 21, 2009: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
     historical significance of the Merced Assembly Center to the 
     Nation and the importance of establishing an appropriate 
     memorial at that site to serve as a place for remembering the 
     hardships endured by Japanese-Americans, so that the United 
     States remains vigilant in protecting our Nation's core 
     values of equality, due process of law, justice, and 
     fundamental fairness.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Born of war hysteria and racial prejudice, Executive Order 9066, 
issued 2 months after the United States entered World War II, would 
come to represent a stain on America's reputation.
  Pursuant to Executive Order 9066, 120,000 Japanese Americans were 
ordered to leave behind their entire lives, and bring only their bare 
necessities to an unknown place with an unknown future. They spent 3 
long years in internment camps in Arizona, Northern and Central 
California, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arkansas. And when 
the war ended and they attempted to return home, many found their 
houses looted. Others lost their homes to foreclosure in their absence, 
and many could not find jobs to feed and shelter their families.
  One of those wrongly interned was our own Representative Mike Honda 
from California. He was a young boy when he and his family were ordered 
to report to the Merced Assembly Center in California, along with close 
to 5,000 other Japanese Americans. He and his family were sent from 
Merced to internment in Colorado.
  Sadly, it took our government almost 50 years to formally apologize 
for this mistake and offer compensation to those who suffered through 
internment.
  On August 10, 1988, the Civil Liberties Act was signed into law, 
offering an official apology for internment and authorizing payments of 
$20,000 to each person wrongfully interned.
  Although there is hardly anything that can replace 3 years of freedom 
wrongfully lost to internment, an official apology and some 
compensation provided solace to those who had suffered and helped heal 
a Nation stained by this terrible mistake during World War II.
  It is extremely important that this Nation never forget this dark 
chapter in American history so that it is never repeated. As part of 
that effort of remembrance, a memorial to that dark chapter is being 
placed at the Merced Center later this month. So today, with this 
resolution introduced by Representative Dennis Cardoza of California, 
we recognize the historical significance of the Merced Assembly Center 
to the United States, and the importance of that memorial being placed 
there as a pledge to national vigilance in protecting our core values 
of equality, due process of law, justice, and fundamental fairness. I 
strongly urge the House to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 129, which recognizes the 
historical significance of the Merced Assembly Center to the memory of 
the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
  Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President 
Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed his Executive Order 9066, which 
authorized the internment of Japanese Americans. President Roosevelt 
took this action even though, as chief historian for the Army Stetson 
Conn said, ``The only responsible commander in the military who backed 
the War Department's mass evacuation plan was the President himself, 
the Commander in Chief.'' Even Attorney General Frances Biddle and FBI 
Director J. Edgar Hoover advised against this policy.

                              {time}  1200

  In 1942, President Roosevelt authorized the Army to evacuate more 
than 100,000 Japanese Americans from the Pacific coast States including 
Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona.
  Interestingly, Mr. Speaker, many Japanese Americans loyally served in 
the United States military during World War II while their families 
were interned. This overbroad and unnecessary approach to maintaining 
America's security serves as a continuing reminder that the civil 
rights of American citizens should never be lost even in the mist of 
the chaos of war. Also, Mr. Speaker, this policy did not apply to 
German-Americans. Approximately 20 percent of the United States 
military during World War II were made up of Americans with German 
heritage. But German-Americans were not interned as Japanese Americans 
were.
  Congress eventually enacted the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 in which 
it apologized on behalf of the Nation for the fundamental violations of 
the basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of these 
individuals of Japanese descent. President Ronald Reagan signed that 
act into law on August 10, 1988, proclaiming it ``a great day for 
America.''
  Over 20 years later, we stand here today to renew our Nation's 
commitment to remember the past and shepherd its lessons into the 
future. Part of remembering those lessons is remembering some of the 
tragic details. One site in particular, the Merced Assembly Center, 
located in Merced, California, was the reporting site for almost 5,000 
Japanese Americans during the war. As a young child, it has already 
been said, our colleague Mike Honda and his family were held at the 
Merced Assembly Center prior to being interned in Colorado. Since then, 
he has championed the cause of preventing this type of injustice from 
ever happening again.
  The Merced Assembly Center serves as a symbol of America's stumbling. 
But our country has regained footing and has appropriately apologized 
for the tragic mistake of President Roosevelt and his Executive Order 
9066. And it is reaffirming its commitment, through this resolution 
before us today, to never forget its mistakes lest they be repeated to 
the detriment of our children and our children's children.
  I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cardoza) may consume.
  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on this momentous occasion of 
honoring a great man, John Dingell. And as we do so, I remember another 
colleague who is no longer with us, Bob Matsui from California, whose 
wife, Doris Matsui, so ably serves with us today in remembering the 
work he did on the bill to establish reparations and to make sure that 
we never forget what happened in the past. President Roosevelt was a 
great President. He led us through a great war. But he did not do so 
without making some errors.
  Mr. Speaker, as it has been said, February 19, 1942, on that day, 
President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 setting in motion the 
forced relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans. As a result, on May 7, 
1942, all persons of Japanese ancestry were ordered to leave

[[Page 3652]]

their homes and property, their farms, and take with them only what 
they could carry and report to a designated assembly center before 12 
o'clock noon on Wednesday, May 13. This order was issued by the U.S. 
War Department and posted to telephone poles, store windows, placed 
across lawns of Japanese American's homes in Merced County, in my home 
city and throughout the West Coast.
  Nearly 4,700 Japanese Americans from over seven counties reported to 
a structure that had been built in just 11 days at the Merced County 
fairgrounds in my district. They entered the assembly center not as 
Japanese Americans but as prisoners. Families were searched for weapons 
and surrounded by barbed wire. Armed guards watched over them as they 
settled in to makeshift housing. Mr. Speaker, no one had ever been 
accused of any crime, yet they were detained for over 131 days.
  Among the victims of this unconscionable act was a young child and 
his family, someone very familiar to this Chamber, as has been 
mentioned. He was born of Japanese ancestry. His name is Congressman 
Mike Honda. And his family were among those assembled at the 
fairgrounds in Merced before taken to a more permanent internment camp 
in Colorado.
  There were hundreds of other of my friends that I have gotten to know 
over the years, also, that lost their farms from Livingston, 
California, from so many areas throughout the Central Valley. And it 
just pains me to remember how they lost so much during this relocation.
  Each year, the Japanese American community comes together for a Day 
of Remembrance to reflect on the events that took place and to educate 
the community on the need to remain vigilant in protecting America's 
values of equality, justice, due process of law and fundamental 
fairness.
  This February 21, the Merced Assembly Center Commemorative Committee 
will unveil a memorial on the fairgrounds to remember this time in our 
Nation's history and the unjust hardships faced by so many of our 
brothers and sisters. Mr. Speaker, I can also tell you that in that 
event there will be a lot of people thinking about our U.S. 
Constitution and reaffirming our devotion to it.
  To my friend and colleague, Mr. Honda, I want to say, I'm sorry this 
took so long. I have served with you for over 12 years. You have been 
my friend all that time. And I am just glad that we can honor you in 
this way now. To my friends back home in the Merced area and in the 
Nissei farming community, I want to say I'm sorry it took so long, but 
I am so proud that I am the person who is able to do this. You are 
truly great mentors to me and great friends to our community.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no better time to come together as a community, 
to heal the wounds of our past and to reaffirm our commitment to 
preserving the fundamental values of our great Nation than today. I 
wish my friend, Bob Matsui, was here to pass this bill with us.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my fellow Texan, 
Mr. Barton.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman 
from Houston, Texas (Mr. Poe).
  Mr. Speaker, I first want to say I support this particular bill. And 
I will vote for it based on Mr. Poe's recommendation.
  But the real reason I'm here is that I'm getting a little bit 
frustrated on behalf of the American people of being shut out of the 
process. We have this suspension bill and then three or four others 
from the Science Committee this afternoon. We're basically treading 
water because a decision was made last night by our Speaker and the 
majority leader in the Senate and the President to lock down the 
stimulus conference. The Speaker apparently has a plane trip scheduled 
to leave to go to Italy on Friday at 6:00 and can't be bothered with an 
open and transparent process on spending in the neighborhood of $800 to 
$900 billion to theoretically stimulate the economy. And to put that 
number in perspective, that is larger than the entire economy of the 
nation of Australia. It is 20 years worth of State spending. The State 
budget of the State of Texas, which I represent, is the second largest 
in terms of population in the country, second only to California. You 
would think if we were going to spend that kind of money, and it is an 
issue of such importance, that we would have some sort of a process 
around here that would have input from everybody.
  Well, the committee that I'm on, Energy and Commerce Committee, 
Chairman Waxman did hold a markup. But the Republican amendments that 
were accepted, most of them were stripped out when the bill came to the 
floor. They did allow a few Republican amendments on the bill that came 
to the floor. And one or two of those were accepted. It went to the 
Senate. The Senate has worked its will. We have come back here. And now 
we have a conference that has been appointed so-called, it is the ``no 
conference'' conference. It is not going to meet because the deal has 
been made. There are five Members from the House. There are five 
Members from the Senate. At some point in time, the two House Members, 
Mr. Lewis, the senior Republican on the Appropriations Committee, and 
Mr. Camp, the senior Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, are 
going to be given a report, probably just a document sheet, that says 
sign or don't sign, and oh, by the way, you can maybe offer minority 
views if you object.
  There is no conference going on right now. There's nothing happening. 
And in the case of the committee that I'm on, for the first time that I 
can ever tell, we don't even officially have a conferree. Now Chairman 
Waxman is a conferree. And he should be. But as the ranking member, I'm 
not a conferee nor is the Health ranking Republican, Mr. Deal, or Mr. 
Stearns, the ranking Republican on the Telecommunications, or Mr. 
Upton, the ranking member on Energy. This bill only spends $200 billion 
under the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee. It's only 
$200 billion. But, again, there is not going to be a conference.
  Now I think the American people have a right to know. I think there 
ought to be a real conference. I think there ought to be a transparent 
process. I think we can take an extra day or two. If Speaker Pelosi 
doesn't get to leave to go to Italy until Monday or Tuesday, Italy is 
still going to be there. The ruins in the Forum are still going to be 
there. Venice is still going to be there. Pompeii is still going to be 
there. I'm not sure where she is going in Italy.
  But I just think it is wrong. Eight hundred billion dollars or $900 
billion is a lot of money. There is a process. We just honored John 
Dingell of Michigan for the being the longest-serving Member. He 
believes in process. He believed in it when he was chairman. He 
believed in it when I became chairman of the Energy Committee. If he 
told me once, he told me 100 times, you have got to have regular order. 
You have got to have hearings. You have got to have subcommittee 
markups. You have got to have full committee. You have got to have 
markup. You have got to go to the Rules Committee. You have to make 
sure that the minority views are heard. And I believed him. That is one 
reason he has got such acclamation.
  So we're here doing the suspension bill. The people who are sponsors 
of it, bless their hearts. It is a good thing to do. But there are a 
lot of other things that we ought to be doing, Mr. Speaker, and we're 
not doing them. The American people are in the dark. We've got the 
``no-conference'' conference with no Republican input from the House 
side. And we've got to vote it before 6:00 o'clock Friday. I think that 
is a tragedy. It is a disservice to the American people.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we don't have any further speakers, and I 
would like to know if the minority has any speakers.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I have one other speaker.
  Mr. COHEN. Then we reserve the balance of our time, and we will 
return to the subject matter at hand.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

[[Page 3653]]


  Mr. KINGSTON. I thank the gentleman for speaking, and I certainly am 
going to support this bill.
  All I have to say is here we are with high unemployment, with 
economic disaster happening, and yet we are spending time debating a 
bill which is going to pass by 435 votes. It is a good bill. It is a 
noncontroversial bill. It will pass. It should be voice voted. But why 
are we spending time to do this when we have millions of unemployed 
Americans and other people who are on the brink of getting laid off?
  We have a stimulus bill that the Democrats are very proud about. It 
has about $830 billion price tag at the moment. It creates 3.7 million 
jobs. Now the Republican alternative is half the cost and twice the 
jobs. I want to repeat that. Twice the jobs and half the cost. It is a 
bill that targets small business job creation. It targets Main Street, 
not Washington, D.C., not Wall Street, but Main Street, so that the 
jobs could come from the bottom up rather than centralized bureaucratic 
governmental planning here in Washington, which failed in Moscow. It 
has failed everywhere else that the government thinks they know best.
  The Democrat bill costs $280,000 per job in a country where the 
household income, on an average, is $50,000. Just 7 percent of this 
money goes to public works, roads, bridges, highways, things that 
actually put people to work with shovel-in-hand, only 7 percent of 
their money. And the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has 
determined that only 22 percent of the entire bill could be spent this 
year. So much for urgency.
  And one interesting provision that now the Senate has rejected is the 
E- Verify, the electronic verification language of the House that will 
make sure that the jobs go to legal American workers, now that might 
get thrown out. Boy, that is such a signal to our Americans. The Senate 
compromise continues the House folly of creating 32 net new Federal 
programs.

                              {time}  1215

  Some of the programs include $29 billion for weatherization, $1.2 
billion for the National Science Foundation, $1.3 billion for NASA.
  Now, remember, this is a jobs program. It's not a normal 
appropriations program. These things the Federal Government has a hand 
in. I understand that. But they're not job creation.
  This bill has $200 billion in undisclosed, phantom earmarks, $200 
billion which will be used for earmarks, but it won't be disclosed 
because decisions will be made by State and local government.
  It contains about $8 billion for corporate welfare, by saying to 
telecommunication companies who want to expand broadband, we know 
you're doing that right now with your own money, but we want to give 
you the money to do that. In fact, there's even language in there that 
specifies the speed at which the broadband tax credits will be 
available, and there's only one company that will be eligible for that.
  This bill rolls back the 10-year long welfare reform. It eliminates 
the back-to-work provision in welfare, and you don't have to 
necessarily land a job, you have to be searching for the job if you're 
able-bodied, and this bill eliminates that.
  This bill creates a brand new program, $100 million to allow schools 
to buy new lunchroom equipment. Popcorn, anybody? Smoothies? Don't 
worry, the Federal Government will put the machine in the lunchroom 
near you.
  And then $100 million for an ag disaster, even though we just passed 
a permanent agriculture disaster bill in the farm bill. This bill still 
goes out and puts another $100 million for it.
  This bill doubles the annual budget for the Department of Energy. It 
goes from $23 billion to $40 billion.
  This bill allows a new program which puts the Federal Government in 
charge of buying $300 million worth of electric cars like this. Now, I 
am a strong proponent of alternative energy, and I think that these 
cars have a purpose. But it doesn't belong in a jobs bill. We do not 
need that in a jobs bill at this point.
  The list goes on. This bill has $4 million for a Federal high-
performance green buildings office. This bill actually has language in 
there to study the private sector profits in the Northern Mariana 
Islands and American Samoa.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pastor). The time of the gentleman has 
expired.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Why is that money there? What is the interest of the 
Speaker with American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands? What is 
that about? Why would that be in a jobs bill? To study private sector 
profits? It makes no sense.
  You know, our national debt right now is $10.6 trillion. We spend 
$450 billion each year just paying interest on the debt. That's almost 
as much as what we pay for the entire Department of Defense. We are 
letting the generation that's in charge rob from the next generation. 
That would be our kids.
  You know, Democrats and Republicans have done a lousy job of 
controlling spending and, certainly, as a Republican, I want to say we 
have not done the job we should have done. But our worst deficit when 
we were in charge of Congress was $412 billion. This quarter, this 
quarter alone, the Democrats will exceed $1 trillion in deficit 
spending.
  Ladies and gentlemen, we need to go back to the table. The Republican 
bill provides twice the jobs at half the cost.
  Mr. COHEN. I would like to inquire if the minority has any additional 
speakers.
  Mr. POE of Texas. We have two additional speakers.
  Mr. COHEN. With the understanding that they don't have to be germane, 
but with my personal concern because I think this is a solemn moment 
honoring Japanese Americans interned during World War II and should be 
respected as such, I yield to the minority to continue.
  I reserve my time to speak on this important resolution that 
recognizes a failing of our country and the fact that we apologized and 
we will find times to reflect on that error to the Japanese Americans 
and other minorities, and that this respectful moment should conclude 
with my remarks.
  Mr. POE of Texas. May I inquire of the Speaker how much time I have 
left?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 6 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky 
(Mr. Rogers).
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, on the so-called stimulus bill, 
instead of engaging in constructive solutions to address the economic 
crisis gripping the Nation, the majority chooses to take advantage of 
it, using fear tactics to try and shame us into supporting an over $1 
trillion spending package loaded with questionable programs that have 
nothing to do with getting the American people back to work.
  At the end of January, the Federal debt stood at a whopping $10.6 
trillion, a third of which was held by foreign nations, mainly and 
namely, Communist China. This month, the Treasury has already announced 
a record debt sale, thanks in part to our failed $700 billion Wall 
Street bailout. A staggering $941 billion was added to our children's 
tab this year alone, and with passage of this latest package, the 
Federal debt will reach a record $13 trillion by the end of fiscal 
2009.
  In the next few months, for the first time in world history, the 
United States will be offering for sale on the market upwards of $5 
trillion worth of Treasury notes. Who's going to buy those notes? Will 
we have to raise interest to attract that capital? What happens when we 
raise interest rates? That means inflation takes over and the 
devaluation of the dollar continues unabated. That's what the result 
will be.
  And while the majority celebrates over the so-called stimulus 
package, the effects of this bill will be the opposite: interest rates 
will soar, inflation will rise, the value of the dollar will plummet.

[[Page 3654]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I give the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. The world has never seen a nation borrow so 
much money in the span of just a few months. Any temporary gains or 
glamorous headlines brought on by this stimulus bill will soon be 
forgotten when the recession deepens, and our children bear the long-
term effects of a massive government spending spree.
  Mr. COHEN. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).
  Mr. SCALISE. As we talk about this resolution that we're debating 
that's a resolution I support, I want to read the very last segment of 
this, in the resolve portion, where it says, ``so that the United 
States remains vigilant in protecting our Nation's core values of 
equality, due process of law, justice and fundamental fairness.'' I 
think it would be real helpful for a lot of people on the other side to 
go and read those statements and then look at what's happening with 
this massive $840 billion spending bill that's rolling through this 
Congress at breakneck speed, with no debate, no opportunity, as we're 
finding out, to have any real formal presentation of a conference 
report on a bill that's going to saddle our next generation and future 
generations with the most massive debt in this biggest spending bill in 
the history of our country.
  And I think if we look, we're starting to hear today that one of the 
reasons that they're rolling with so much haste, much more important to 
them that they pass it quickly than that we get it right, and one of 
the reasons we're finding out is that some of the leadership are taking 
a vacation.
  Now, I don't know about other Members, but I know people in my 
district that are unemployed that are looking for jobs, would much 
rather see us spend the time, stay here, cancel the vacations, because 
many of them are canceling their vacations; make sure we spend the time 
to get it right. That's the most important thing to the American 
people.
  And so as we look at this bill that we're debating, this resolution 
that talks about fundamental fairness, I think we need to be concerned 
about the fundamental fairness to the American people of getting it 
right. And we don't need to look back and figure out how to start over 
from scratch. History tells us that massive spending doesn't work. 
FDR's Treasury Secretary, in one of the largest spending bills in 
history, this bill, this spending bill that the administration's 
pushing through tops it. FDR's own Treasury Secretary said, we have 
tried spending money. We're spending more money than we ever have spent 
before and it does not work.
  We need to take a different approach. There's a much better 
alternative on the table, and for whatever reason, some in the 
leadership don't even want to look at it. Let's take the time and get 
it right.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, once again I inquire whether the minority has 
any more time or if they are going to yield.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I'm prepared to close. We have no other speakers.
  Mr. COHEN. I will reserve my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield myself the balance of the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Cardoza from California for bringing 
this bill to the House floor, and I agree with my friend from Tennessee 
(Mr. Cohen) that we need to refocus on the legislation presently before 
the House of Representatives. This bill brings a close to a long 
memory, a bad memory in the United States of the internment of Japanese 
Americans during World War II. We need to show all Americans, and in 
this case, Japanese Americans, the due respect that they are entitled 
to, as being American citizens. And that's why this resolution is very 
important to establish the Merced Center in California.
  I yield back the balance of my time, and urge the adoption of this 
resolution.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the honorable 
gentleman from Texas for his remarks and the bringing back to the 
purpose of this resolution and why we're here now.
  It is, I understand, the rules of the House, and when one is in the 
minority, one takes the opportunity to have time on this floor to speak 
to the American people when they can. Although we just honored Mr. 
Dingell, and one of the things we honored Mr. Dingell for was his 
appropriateness and order and appreciation for the House and 
germaneness.
  Now, I was a history major, Mr. Speaker, and maybe because of that 
I've got a certain perspective of these type of resolutions. I'm also 
Jewish, and being a minority, I've known discrimination in my life, and 
known discrimination against Jewish people all over this globe. And so, 
because this particular resolution recognizes a failing of our country 
in our efforts to become a more perfect union, and talks about the 
errors of the past in interning what shouldn't have to be hyphenated 
people, Japanese Americans, interning Americans in work camps and 
prison camps for 3 years, including one of our very own members, the 
Honorable Mike Honda. I find it a moment that should be dealt with with 
solemnity, and we should reflect on the errors of the past and 
understand that we can become a more perfect union if we remember those 
times and correct those injustices. This Congress did that in 1988, and 
now, in Merced, California, and this resolution talks about that, they 
are placing a marker to remind all Americans of the injustices that 
were done in World War II to Japanese Americans.
  This Congress, in the 110th Congress, we recognized for the first 
time in our country's history, the errors of our ways in Jim Crow and 
slavery laws in this country and what we did to African Americans. 
There have been several incidents, with African Americans, with 
Japanese Americans, with American Indians, where this country has done 
wrong, but we've tried to correct those ways with apologies and with 
memorials.

                              {time}  1230

  It is appropriate that this resolution by Mr. Cardoza be brought and 
that it be considered and that it be passed. I am honored to speak in 
favor of it and ask that all Members vote in favor of it.
  I know the other side did not mean to disrespect Japanese Americans 
or others who have been dishonored by errors in our country's past or, 
in fact, our country for taking such a noble step as to apologize, 
which a great country does, and the rules permit what they did. So I 
know they did not intend to do that, but I, as a history major and as a 
minority, feel somewhat concerned that Japanese Americans could feel 
that way.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud that this Congress in 1988 apologized. I am 
proud that this Congress apologized last year to African Americans. In 
order to become a more perfect union, we have to see our wrongs and try 
to correct them. The city of Merced, California, at the Merced Assembly 
Center, is trying to do that. They will be placing a marker, which Mr. 
Cardoza, I am sure, will participate in and in this House of 
Representatives resolution which recognizes the significance of that 
with an appropriate marker to remember the hardships endured by 
Japanese Americans so that United States, the country and its citizens, 
remain vigilant in protecting our Nation's core values of equality, due 
process of law, justice, fundamental fairness, and respect for the 
process and for people.
  I would like to ask that all Members vote in favor of H. Res. 129.
   Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H. 
Res. 129, a resolution which recognizes the historical significance of 
the Merced Assembly Center.
  I want to thank my friend, Congressman Dennis Cardoza, for taking the 
initiative to introduce this resolution. The Merced Assembly Center is 
a meaningful piece of our nation's history, and it strikes a very 
personal chord with me. I am grateful and honored that Congressman 
Cardoza asked to include me in this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, February 19th, known as the Day of Remembrance, marks 
the day in 1942

[[Page 3655]]

that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which 
forced approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans into holding centers 
and subsequently internment camps. As February 19th approaches and we 
recognize the Day of Remembrance, we are again reminded of the lessons 
learned from this experience.
  Internment changed the paths of many lives. Families were separated, 
relocated in some cases across the country, and property and businesses 
were lost. As some of my colleagues know, when I was a young child, my 
family was uprooted from California and I spent time at the Merced 
Assembly Center before moving to an internment camp in Amache, 
Colorado. This experience undoubtedly shaped my life and my career, as 
I have fought arduously to protect civil liberties in our nation, and 
make sure that no community experiences the discrimination and 
violation of rights that Japanese Americans did during World War II.
  During my time in the California State Assembly, I authored AB1915, 
the World War II Internment of Japanese Americans: California Civil 
Liberties Public Education Act, which became California public law in 
1999. This legislation provides competitive grants for public 
educational activities and the development of educational materials to 
ensure that the events surrounding internment will be remembered and 
taught.
  As a former teacher, I place a high value on education in order to 
understand the mistakes our Government has made, and how we can learn 
from them. I firmly believe that through education, our Nation will 
improve itself and avoid making the same mistake twice.
  The Merced Assembly Center Commemorative Committee is currently 
charged with establishing a memorial to recognize the historic tragedy 
that took place at the Merced Assembly Center. This Memorial, which 
will be unveiled on February 21, 2009, will also serve to educate our 
Nation that we are committed to healing historical wounds and replacing 
prejudice and fear with the American values of equality and justice.
   Once again, Mr. Speaker, I commend my friend, Congressman Cardoza, 
for his leadership on this resolution, for personally reaching out to 
me, and for rightfully recognizing the significance of the significance 
of the Merced Assembly Center.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
129, recognizing the historical significance of the Merced Assembly 
Center in California, which will be unveiled February 21st 2009. I 
thank my distinguished colleague and fellow San Joaquin Valley 
Representative, Dennis Cardoza, for his leadership and perseverance on 
this issue.
  As we all know, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
signed the Executive Order 9066 authorizing the forced internment of 
120,000 Japanese Americans, placing tremendous hardship on the innocent 
that in many cases resulted in the loss of their jobs, businesses, 
property, and dignity. The Merced Assembly Center was the reporting 
site for 4,669 Japanese Americans, before they were removed to more 
permanent war relocation centers.
  A dear friend of mine and a beloved Member of this body, Congressman 
Mike Honda, arrived at the Merced Assembly Center with his family as a 
young boy. As Japanese Americans, they were forced to endure years of 
hardship at an internment camp in Colorado. Congressman Honda fought 
against the odds, and despite prejudice and adversity, has risen to 
become a great leader in this nation.
  What once was a place of loss, hatred and fear now will be 
transformed into a place for remembrance, healing and hope. The 
Memorial would not be possible without the dedication, diligence and 
passion of my college and friend, Congressman Dennis Cardoza, and I 
commend him for his efforts to this end. I would also like to recognize 
the efforts of the Merced Assembly Center Commemorative Committee. Two 
years ago, the Pinedale Assembly Center Memorial Project established a 
similar memorial in Fresno County which recognizes the historic tragedy 
that took place at that site. Its been said that, ``Those who cannot 
learn from history are doomed to repeat it.'' This memorial will help 
us learn.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 129, recognizing the historical significance of the Merced 
Assembly Center to the Nation and the importance of establishing an 
appropriate memorial at that site to serve as a place for remembering 
the hardships endured by Japanese-Americans, so that the United States 
remains vigilant in protecting our Nation's core values of equality, 
due process of law, justice and fundamental fairness. This resolution 
embodies the ideals and precepts that we hold so dear in the United 
States. I support this resolution and I strongly encourage my 
colleagues to do the same.
  As a Senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and a member of 
the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil 
Liberties, I know the importance of due process, fairness, and 
equality. Indeed, as a child of the Civil Rights Movement, I have 
championed these uniquely American precepts that are the bedrock of our 
Democracy. We must never forget this fundamental infringement of civil 
rights that had a deleterious and one-sided effect upon a race of 
Americans. We must never forget so that we will never repeat the tragic 
horrors of that era. Spawned by a fear of a race during a time of war, 
this Great Country was led to do act and behave toward a race in a way 
that we must never allow again.
  On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 
Executive Order No. 9066, authorizing the forced internment of both 
United States citizens and legal residents of Japanese ancestry during 
World War II. This Executive Order resulted in the largest single 
relocation of individuals in the history of our Nation. As a result of 
this relocation, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forced into internment 
camps by the United States Government in violation of their fundamental 
constitutional rights.
  Japanese-Americans faced tremendous hardships due to their unjust 
treatment. The hardships this group faced were reminiscent of the days 
of slavery where families were torn asunder and faced separation. 
Individuals endured the loss of their homes, businesses, jobs, and 
their dignity.
  Pursuant to Executive Order No. 9066, Japanese-Americans in the 
western United States, specifically Washington, Oregon, California, and 
southern Arizona were ordered to report to so called assembly centers 
before being removed to more permanent wartime relocation centers.
  The Merced Assembly Center, located in Merced, California, was the 
reporting site for nearly 5,000 Japanese-Americans. Sadly, as a child, 
United States Congressman Mike Honda and his family were held at the 
Merced Assembly Center prior to being interned in Amache, Colorado. 
Through this tragedy and sadness, and in spite of this situation, 
Representative Honda forged a public career dedicated to educating and 
preventing this type of injustice from ever occurring again in this 
great country.
  The Merced Assembly Center Commemorative Committee has been charged 
with the task of establishing a memorial to recognize the historic 
tragedy that took place at the Merced Assembly Center. The unveiling 
ceremony for the memorial at the Merced Assembly Center will take place 
on February 21, 2009.
  I stand today to support this resolution. As a champion of civil 
rights for all Americans, I will continue to fight to ensure that 
Americans are treated fairly, humanely, and to the letter of the 
Constitution. I urge my colleagues to stand with me today to support 
this resolution and to continue to fight against prejudice in this 
country. As Members of Congress, we must never forget the injustice of 
the Japanese internment in this country and all of us need to continue 
in the fight to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly under law 
without regard to the race, color, creed, sexual orientation or any 
other form of differentiation.
  Mr. Speaker. I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, on February 19th, this nation will recognize 
the 67th Anniversary of the ``Day of Remembrance.'' This was the day in 
1942 that President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to 
the internment of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry.
  The President's decision to intern Americans was an avoidable 
consequence of racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. The government at 
all levels was blinded by war, and made decisions that were contrary to 
our Constitution. The failure of each branch of government to uphold 
the rights of individuals must be taught so that future generations 
resist succumbing to the politics of fear.
  Because of one of the darkest periods of our Nation's history, we 
learned of the damage that can be done when we let the politics of fear 
cloud our judgment. Congress has not only recognized a Day of 
Remembrance, but it also supports and funds assembly center and 
internment site preservation as a physical reminder of past inequality.
  Today, we recognize the historical significance of the Merced 
Assembly Center, located in Merced, California, where 4,669 Japanese-
Americans were detained prior to being transferred to internment sites. 
My dear friend and colleague, Congressman Mike Honda, was held at the 
Merced Assembly Center prior to being interned.
  It is important to preserve these sites to ensure that future 
generations can learn from

[[Page 3656]]

past events in order to prevent anything like this from ever occurring 
again. The unveiling of the Merced Assembly Center on February 21, will 
allow the site to serve as a place for remembering the hardships 
endured by Japanese-Americans.
  As we look back on a time in our Nation's history, and how our 
country has responded since, we should have hope for the future. Around 
the world, human rights violations continue unabated. Yet, we can 
combat this by working with a single purpose towards a future wherein 
every person, regardless of race, gender, nationality or creed enjoys 
equal treatment in this world.
  And today, 67 years after the signing of Executive Order 9066, we 
must renew our commitment to bringing these rights to all people.
  Though the internment remains one of the darkest periods in our 
Nation's history, preservations like the Merced Assembly Center help to 
remind us of the distinctly American power of redemption. Our 
collective commitment to fairness and justice is the only way to 
prevent such a blatant form of injustice from ever becoming a reality 
again.
  Mr. COHEN. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 129.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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