[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1147]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                WE ARE OUR BROTHERS' AND SISTERS' KEEPER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for 
giving us an opportunity to share some crucial human catastrophes that 
are occurring around the world.
  I'm challenging all of my colleagues and those who would listen that 
sometimes we are, in fact, through peaceful means, our brothers' and 
sisters' keeper. First, as we have seen the ascending violence occur in 
Syria, a nation-state that I have visited, bloodshed that has included 
the loss of women and children, hearing news reports where citizens of 
Syria are begging for someone to do something, it is almost as if you 
came out of your house and stood by as your neighbor's house burned. We 
know in America many would try to get a garden hose, others call 911; 
but they do something because of the horror of what they're seeing.
  Constantly, our media airwaves are being beat with the sounds of 
gunshots, smoke and devastation and a steadfast refusal of Dr. Assad to 
step down. His first representation was that these were al Qaeda and 
terrorists, and we need to listen to him. There is a general respect 
for the sovereignty of a nation. And I'm not one pushing the immediate 
attack by the United States. The American people have spoken on their 
cautiousness--our soldiers and their treasure are precious. But just as 
I was with a number of our men and women this past Saturday who had 
been to Iraq or Afghanistan or are prepared to go elsewhere, our 
soldiers are always prepared to defend the needs of people who cannot 
help themselves.
  But I call upon today the recognition that the United Nations has to 
fix itself. For as a consensus was coming together for the right 
approach--possibly U.N. troops to maintain the peace, as was done in 
places on the continent of Africa--who raises their selfish voices? Two 
countries, China and Russia, veto the consensus of many to try and help 
these people who are in need--children and women dying in the streets, 
not able to live in peace.
  So I believe that those who had an idea need to go back to the 
Security Council. They need to make sure that we know that the U.N. is 
the entity that it was crafted to be in the late 1940s, the voice of 
reason, the ability to step in. They need to pressure these two, in 
essence, outlanders--those who want to stand out of the circle of care 
just because of selfish reasons of oil--to get out of the way or be 
part of the team.
  I believe it is important as well, as we look at Libya and its 
quietness now, working quietly to try and restructure. Many people 
fought against that. I was delighted to be with a number of my 
colleagues, the first Members of the United States Congress to go stand 
in front of the Libyan Embassy and say Qadhafi must go. Sometimes you 
have to step out of the circle of comfort.
  I ask Syrian Americans to stand up and be heard. Go to the United 
Nations; ask that your countrymen be safe. Let us hear your voices. 
Likewise, I ask for Egyptian Americans--we have been allies with Egypt 
for a long time, and I am trying to understand the tension or confusion 
between governments. But my point is, this is a government-to-
government issue. Let my people go. Let the Americans go. You can find 
no basis that they have intently, with intent, done anything that 
deserves that they are, one, indicted and, two, cannot travel out of 
the Egyptian boundaries. I call upon Egyptian Americans to rise up and 
be heard, for our alliance is better than a few Americans.
  I take great issue with Republican Presidential politics trying to 
claim this is the same thing as the hostages in Iran. Let us make no 
political statement about this. These are Americans. We want them out; 
we want them out now. But the idea is that there must be some 
responsible leadership in Egypt to recognize that spoiling or ending 
the alliance between Egypt and the United States is not worth this 
petty action.
  So I ask for Syrian Americans, Mr. Speaker, and Egyptian Americans to 
go to my Web site, Sheila Jackson Lee--you can find it. Let me know 
what you want to do and how you're going to support the efforts of 
making peace or having peace in Syria and saving our fellow Americans 
in Egypt. Now is the time. It is no time for languishing in fear.

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