[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14282-14283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           ISSUES OF THE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, many of us are disappointed that 
sometime on the floor today we will spend precious time that could be 
utilized for our focus on ISIS, focus on increasing the minimum wage 
and addressing social issues across America on condemning the President 
for authority that he had and for, in essence, rescuing Sergeant 
Bergdahl. But that is, unfortunately, where we find ourselves. I am 
here to indicate that the President has enormous responsibilities and

[[Page 14283]]

has been thoughtful but forceful on behalf of the American people.
  As they indicated, there are many issues that we have great concern 
with, and last evening colleagues of mine in the Congressional Black 
Caucus stood on the floor of the House to address the heinous killing 
of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
  First, let me thank Congressman Lacy Clay and Congressman Cleaver for 
their leadership. They had to be on the front lines embracing the 
family members and community. But those of us in distance want to 
extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Michael Brown and indicate 
that we have had great police-community relations through many of our 
districts overcoming some very serious obstacles, as we did in Houston, 
Texas. We started community-oriented policing at the leadership of 
former Mayor Lee P. Brown. It can be done.
  On the Judiciary Committee, I have worked with funding for community-
oriented policing, and, therefore, I don't take a backseat to my 
support of law enforcement across this Nation. The actions that were 
played out by the media in video, to me, took the life of a boy who had 
a life in front of him.
  So it is crucial that this body does not leave for its recess again 
and not address, in some direct way, the killing of Michael Brown, 
hearings regarding the militarization of our police, adding more 
funding back to community-oriented policing, and, yes, asking the 
question of the utilization of firepower against an unarmed Black boy.
  The epidemic of the killing of Black men is real; you can see the 
numbers. Those of us who are mothers who have to tell our sons how they 
ought to respond when they are on the street--educated, military 
personnel, high school graduates or not--this is something that all of 
America should be concerned about because we are America. I hope to be 
part of the solution and not the problem.
  We will be looking to introduce legislation that addresses the 
question of how we utilize equipment that was given for natural 
disasters and fighting terrorism, not to go against unarmed civilians. 
That is, I believe, a charge for this body.
  Let me also indicate that, as a member of the Homeland Security 
Committee, having just come from the Mideast, I know that ISIS is real, 
and I believe that the President had a strategy. It was a deliberative 
strategy. It was one that was not to be spoken of precipitously or to 
announce what you are going to do next. But as he engages in 
consultation with our leadership, it is crucial that he engages in 
consultation with Members of Congress. I know that that is the 
President's effort. He has done so in the past.
  We have willing allies in the Mideast who are willing to stand up 
with United States leadership on strategy where they are in the front. 
We must define what boots on the ground means, what does the 1,000 
individuals who are there now who are military personnel. We must find 
a way to address Syria without collaborating with President Assad. And 
we must be reminded that the religious minorities in Iraq are still 
under siege and attack, and there are, in the wake of those attacks, 
often children that we must address.

                              {time}  1030

  We must be able to provide international resources for the children 
who are left after the bloody siege of ISIS. And then we must explain 
to the American people that we have their national security in our 
hands, that we realize that the rising numbers wanting to attack Syria 
and wanting to continue to attack Iraq in those areas where ISIS is is 
because of the fear of the homeland.
  As I indicated, as the senior member on Homeland Security, we get 
that. We will be holding a hearing in the Border and Maritime Security 
Subcommittee, where I serve as ranking member, along with my 
chairwoman, Congresswoman Miller. I have introduced legislation as an 
aside to declare the Russian rebels as terrorists. I look forward to 
looking at this question, as Congressman Wolf has, this issue of those 
with U.S. passports and this question of how do we keep them from 
flying, adding them to the no-fly list. We are looking at ways of 
getting our walls around those individuals being able to attack the 
homeland.
  Again, we have many issues to come together on as a body. We must 
address the crisis of the killing of Michael Brown. But we also have to 
say that we can do it together. We must address this crisis of dealing 
with ISIS. It is real, it can be assessed, and it can be handled. 
Collaborate with our Western allies and our friends in the Mideast. It 
is our duty, and we must do it now.

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