[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3682]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1515
              TURNING THE PAGE ON THE PAST ADMINISTRATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, the swearing in of President Obama on 
January 20 marked the beginning of a new day in our country and the end 
of a dark time in American history. Our country has learned painful 
lessons from the last administration's failure to respect the rule of 
law and the voice of the American people.
  Never once during the last 8 years did the past administration ask 
whether what it was doing was legal, morale, or right. As a result, its 
failures may have been criminal. Its actions may have been 
unconstitutional. Its unwillingness to take responsibility, glaring.
  President Obama and the 111th Congress will face huge, huge 
challenges as we repair the damage of the last 8 years.
  Across the country, people are worse off today than they were 8 years 
ago. The American people have lost loved ones, they have lost their 
jobs and their homes because of the last administration.
  America now finds itself in the worst economic shape since the Great 
Depression, fighting two wars overseas, and struggling to restore our 
reputation around the world and mend the fabric of the Constitution 
that has been damaged by the last administration. We face this 
situation today because the last administration acted above the law and 
looked down on anyone who challenged its right to do so. It followed 
the law when it was convenient, and ignored the law when it wasn't. It 
ignored good advice, and was quick to call its critics traitors and al 
Qaeda types rather than respect their viewpoints. It favored its rose-
colored view of the world over reality even when the truth came 
crashing down around them.
  The new President understands the importance of learning from these 
mistakes as we rebuild our country and as we restore our Constitution. 
Since the Democrats took back the Congress in 2007, Mr. Speaker, we 
have aggressively sought to uncover the truth about the last 
administration. Hearing after hearing has shown abuse of power, 
disregard for the law, and contempt for Congress. Congress will 
continue with subpoenas, lawsuits, hearings, and questions. We will 
reaffirm that no one, not the President and not the Vice President, is 
above the law.
  As we move forward, Congress must address past abuses and failures. 
From keeping working families in their homes after record numbers of 
foreclosures, to reinvesting in health care and education for everyone, 
we will fulfill the priorities of the American people that have been so 
neglected. From closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay to banning 
torture, we will restore America's standing in the world. From ending 
the occupation of Iraq to protecting America's civil liberties, we will 
be a government that respects the Constitution and the American people.
  By correcting the mistakes of the past and reinvesting in our 
country, we can return equality and justice for all. By looking forward 
and renewing the promise of America, we will right the wrongs of the 
last 8 years. By working for the American people instead of working 
around them, we will return to a government by the people, for the 
people, and of the people.

                          ____________________