[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16076]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IT'S TIME TO THANK OUR WARRIORS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. It's really a 
pleasure to have the opportunity to speak this morning and to 
congratulate President Obama for keeping his promise and keeping his 
promise to the American people.
  I've had the privilege of traveling to Iraq on many occasions, the 
privilege of greeting our soldiers coming from Texas, Houston, and all 
over America. I've had the sadness of attending the memorials and 
funeral services of fallen soldiers, the sadness of talking to parents 
and relatives asking the question: ``Why?'' I've even gone and mourned 
with mothers around the issue of convincing Presidents, in this 
instance, President Bush, to end the war.
  I've been amidst tiny white crosses that have symbolized the numbers 
of those who died in Iraq; and in my office, for a period of time, we 
accounted for the numbers of individuals who died in Iraq, in 
particular, from the State of Texas.
  I cochair the Afghan Caucus. In times that I have gone to Iraq in the 
Green Zone that is familiar to many, I've even taken enemy fire; and 
that is, of course, enemy fire attempting to hit those in the Green 
Zone, nothing in comparison to our soldiers and certainly never 
experienced the heinous act of an IED.
  It is time to bring those warriors home and to say thank you, 
spending almost $900 billion, close to $1 trillion. And I'd like to see 
the amendment that I passed in the Defense authorization bill utilized. 
It was a national proclamation, a day to welcome home all of our combat 
veterans. It would include those who have fought wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan and other wars in times past and other incidents around the 
world.
  It's time to have a celebration and a response to our soldiers like 
we've never had before. It's time to place ribbons; it's time to stand 
in streets; it's time to celebrate through parades. And I would commend 
those who have served and continue to serve and our veterans. It seems 
that that is the appropriate response.
  And how silly it seems that in the State of Texas we have to be 
fighting the potential implementation of a Confederate flag. We had a 
press conference in my district with persons from around the State and 
around the county standing up against the State-issued Confederate 
flag. In fact, we announced for the State of Texas: Why couldn't we put 
the American flag on our plates, our license plates, to symbolize our 
commitment to our soldiers and our respect for the unity of this 
Nation?
  But yet, under Governor Perry, we are fooling around with the idea, 
with his appointees, of a Confederate flag license plate, one that does 
not honor the Confederate soldier. For those who wish to honor them, 
there are places and museums in your home. But to put on the State 
license plate a flag that symbolized fear, intimidation, oppressive 
actions, brutality, slavery, and the death of slaves, some 20 million 
that came over, many that were thrown overboard, and the brutality of 
Jim Crowism is an outrage and will not be tolerated.
  While there is continued growth of millions of millionaires and the 
average salary in the United States is $26,000, it seems that we should 
stay focused on job creation and not be distracted in a State as large 
as Texas, with the largest majority minority community of Latinos and 
African Americans and the largest number of uninsured, that the 
government of the State of Texas would take time to fool around with a 
Confederate flag, a hostile symbol that is so egregious to many in this 
country.

                              {time}  1110

  And so, Mr. Speaker, I hope that Congress will focus on passing the 
jobs bill, recognizing the need of the American people. I hope my 
colleagues will look toward States that would create a hostile 
atmosphere such as a Confederate license plate in a way that would show 
that many times they're not worthy of receiving Federal funds if they 
want to spend their time spending money on something as dastardly as 
that--and I come from the State--because there are so many needs, such 
as was mentioned earlier by my colleagues, in the limitations in the 
SNAP and food stamps where children are starving.
  Why don't we focus on the goodness of bringing us together such as my 
earlier comment of welcoming home our troops with a national 
proclamation pursuant to the amendment that I passed on this floor of 
the House 419-0? Why don't we get rid of things like Confederate flag 
symbols that represent oppression? And why don't we come together in 
this Congress to pass the President's American Jobs Act so salaries are 
not going down? And why don't we hold States accountable when they get 
Federal dollars that if they don't hire small businesses and those who 
are unemployed, Mr. Speaker, that we cut their Federal funds? And I 
truly mean that.
  I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your indulgence. Again, let's get rid 
of the bad things in the United States, such as symbols of Confederate 
flags insulting much of the American people, let's support SNAP, let's 
support people going to work, and let's make sure that there are people 
earning more than $26,000 by getting them back to work.

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