H8066 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 23, 2017 minute and to revise and extend her re- CIVIL RIGHTS family, including his pregnant wife, marks.) The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. took him to his final resting place in Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, tomor- MAST). Under the Speaker’s announced Florida. Sergeant Johnson’s tragic row is United Nations Day. As we re- policy of January 3, 2017, the gen- death leaves this young family father- flect on the value of global partner- tleman from Texas (Mr. VEASEY) is rec- less. ships to solve problems, I want to rec- ognized for 60 minutes as the designee Mr. Speaker, in his second inaugural ognize the 40th anniversary of the of the minority leader. address, President Abraham Lincoln international global health organiza- called on our Nation to endeavor to GENERAL LEAVE tion known as PATH, Program for Ap- care for him who shall have borne the propriate Technology and Health. Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask battle and for his widow and his or- PATH is headquartered in Seattle, unanimous consent that all Members phan. and since its founding, it has been an may have 5 legislative days to revise Unfortunately, rather than comfort incredible force for good. It is a place and extend their remarks and include Sergeant Johnson’s grieving family, that I had the opportunity to work at extraneous material on the subject of the current occupant of the White for many years in the 1990s. my Special Order. House has chosen to use them as his PATH works in more than 70 coun- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there latest prop in his constant effort to tries, improving health for 150 million objection to the request of the gen- sow discord and division in this coun- people each year. PATH has made a dif- tleman from Texas? try. ference in countless lives, from stop- There was no objection. The President and White House Chief ping preventable deaths of mothers and Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with of Staff John Kelly, who happens to be children to keeping people safe from great honor that I rise today to co- a four-star general, have insulted and infectious disease outbreaks. anchor this CBC Special Order hour. smeared an honorable public servant PATH has also helped make Wash- Also, I want to acknowledge the chair who happens to be a five-star Congress- ington State a global center of develop- of the Congressional Black Caucus, Mr. woman, and, in effect, called her and EDRIC RICHMOND, from the State of ment for lifesaving health equity, inno- C her grieving widow constituent liars. Louisiana, and other Members who are vations, and solutions. In 2013 alone, Congresswoman FREDERICA S. WILSON here to participate. For the next 60 this global health industry generated has been a champion for the people of minutes, we have a chance to speak di- $5.8 billion in direct economic impact south Florida for decades. It is no mys- rectly to the American people on issues and employed more than 12,500 people. tery—and it was not political—that she of great importance to the Congres- PATH collaborates with govern- was accompanying Mrs. Johnson and sional Black Caucus, the constituents ments, the private sector, and NGOs to her family to receive her husband’s re- that we all represent in our various advance more than 100 health strate- mains. She had mentored Sergeant districts. gies and technologies. It has saved $14 Johnson throughout his childhood. For this particular Special Order million per year doing things like pre- I have participated in several of Con- hour, I am going to open it up and venting undamaged vaccines from gresswoman WILSON’s 500 Role Models begin to talk about something that is being discarded. events and have spoken for one of their very important and has been widely Congratulations to PATH. graduations. I also wear this red tie to discussed within the Congressional this floor helping her highlight their f Black Caucus, and that is civil rights efforts. Her passionate work on behalf b 1930 and some of the things that we are of those kidnapped girls of Boko Haram worried about that are going on within is unmatched. TAX REFORM the Justice Department. As the husband of a five-star African- (Mr. COHEN asked and was given per- We have several important Members American woman for more than 56 mission to address the House for 1 here to speak on these. Before I go any years and the father of three African- minute.) further, I want to go ahead and recog- American daughters who are working Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this House nize them. The first speaker we have is hard to earn their stars every day, I and its committees will discuss what is from the State of South Carolina, rep- feel compelled to respond to General being called tax reform, what is being resenting that State’s Sixth Congres- Kelly and completely disregard his told to the American public is a middle sional District, and also our caucus’ as- concocted misrepresentations. class tax break. sistant leader. That is Mr. JIM CLY- Mr. Speaker, we can have political Well, I am here to tell you it is a con BURN. differences here in Washington. That job. It is a tax giveaway to the wealthi- I thank Representative CLYBURN for comes with the territory. But people est people in this country like never joining and being a part of this Special need to have the common decency and before at the expense of people in the Order hour to talk about this subject basic humanity to refrain from exacer- middle class, lesser incomes, who will matter that is very important to so bating the pain of those already suf- not get benefits, and if they do, it is many members of the Black Caucus. fering so much. I was taught from chump change. It is the change you Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman childhood that silence gives consent. I give somebody at a restaurant when from South Carolina (Mr. CLYBURN). want the White House to know this: I you get your meal. (Mr. CLYBURN asked and was given and the members of the Congressional Billionaires will get to get away permission to revise and extend his re- Black Caucus will not be silent, and we without having to pay an estate tax, marks.) will not be silenced. like Donald Trump—billions of dollars Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank they will not have to pay to the gov- my friend for yielding to me. the gentleman from South Carolina ernment to help fund Pell grants, I also thank him and our colleague, (Mr. CLYBURN) very much for his time- LIHEAP, and other programs that help Congresswoman EDDIE BERNICE JOHN- ly and very serious comments. I hope people who need something. That is SON, for joining me at the Center for that all of the Members who are here something they will not come off of. African American Studies at the Uni- on both sides of the aisle realize the se- They may raise a little rate and say: versity of Texas at Arlington last riousness of the comments. There is We are going to put a little higher rate Thursday evening. It was a wonderful nothing humorous about them all, on the wealthy because it is not in experience for me. President Vistasp nothing to be smiling or laughing there now. Karbhari, Dr. Jason Skelton, and my about. It is very timely in light of the They may say: Give the State and longtime friend, Dr. Marvin Delaney, unfortunate incident that happened local income tax exemptions back. were perfect hosts. with our colleague. I thank the gen- But they are not going to go back on Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, Ser- tleman very much for bringing that to the estate tax because that is for the geant La David T. Johnson died a light. superwealthy, and that is who this bill hero’s death in a distant land on a mis- Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my fellow is for. sion few Americans know about or un- Texan from the 18th Congressional Dis- Wake up America. It is a con job. derstand. This weekend, his grieving trict in Houston. I thank very much

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:04 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.043 H23OCPT1 October 23, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8067 Representative SHEILA JACKSON LEE for I offer my sympathy to Sergeants ticulate, probably seeking some hu- joining us this evening. We look for- Wright, Black, La David Johnson, and manity, to say: Can you just, if you ward to the gentlewoman’s words. Jeremiah Johnson. hear my words, apologize? Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I So how their loss, through no fault of That never happened. The untruth thank the manager, Mr. VEASEY, for their own, in the battle for this Nation spread all over. You see, as an African- his leadership, his sensitivities, his turned into an ugly name-calling, I am American woman, you don’t have to sensibilities, and his empathy, knowing baffled, except for the fact that it is worry about saying the truth about us. his distinguished wife and the leader- easy to call African Americans names. We are various names—sons of Bs—and ship she gives to the Congressional It is easy for some White Americans to we have got all kinds of disturbing sit- Black Caucus Foundation. I am sure call African Americans names. uations going on with names that we that there are many women in the gen- When we are on the floor of the can be called. And that is what this tleman’s family, and I know that he House and we say things that are unto- White House did. has a great honor and respect for them. ward in some segments of the popu- My dear friend, who I knew in the It is appropriate to follow the leader, lation, our phones ring off the hook Southern Command, that is what hap- Mr. CLYBURN, who is vested in the sto- with the N word, N word, N word. I pens when you are here for just a few ried history of African Americans from don’t know how many of my friends years. He had great leadership and loss. the East to the West, North to the who are not people of color—I am sure I was here when that happened. And I South. He often diminishes his status we all say things that people disagree don’t want to spend a moment to di- by saying that he was raised in a parish with, and I don’t know whether they minish his status as a Gold Star par- house, but when he eloquently rises to call up and call them White, White, ent. He has a right to mourn and to the floor to defend, all eyes and all ears White. speak of his loss. are tuned to him. You see, race is something that we But then, when you are forced to step Now, I want to adhere to our discus- are fearful of discussing, and that is be- from that humble position over to an sion today because it is extremely im- cause the thought would be: Here she untruth, you can do it to a Black portant, and to also acknowledge my goes again. woman. They have no power. I can talk colleagues. So let me hurry through But there is a great love—my inter- something that doesn’t have any truth, my comments. I do want to acknowl- action, my life’s history is with the di- because I have to defend—and this is edge the chair of the Congressional versity of this world, from White Cau- said lovingly—a White man who hap- Black Caucus, CEDRIC RICHMOND. I casians, Anglos in Texas, to Hispanics, pens to be in the Oval Office. thank the women of the caucus for African Americans, Asians, and beyond We don’t count. We are the largest their eloquent and pointed statement in various religious. I feel comfortable group of active, civic women in all regarding the series of events that has in my soul. kinds of organizations. If there is occurred. But this weekend was the most dif- something being done—first of all, it is Let me, first of all, say that our topic ficult time for African-American women overall, I love them all, but you today deals with a retracing of the hor- women who are—in the category of will see the African-American woman— rible history that was perpetrated casting, the caste system—at the bot- she is in there scrubbing, she is in under FBI Director Hoover for the dec- tom of the totem pole. Even today, the there teaching, she is in there handling ades that he served in that capacity. likes of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner the religious institutions, she is stand- So as I label what it is, let me just for Truth, Mae Jemison, Shirley Chisholm, ing by babies, and she is standing by a moment deviate to what happened Barbara Jordan, doctors, lawyers, and young people. this weekend. I believe that the FBI others, we are at the bottom. She is a civil rights activist, she is a So there was much latitude—uncon- personnel, through much of its history, scientist, she is a doctor. She is presi- trolled latitude—in name-calling. were mostly men—fine men—who dent of various organizations. She is Forty-five mentioning untoward words wanted to protect this Nation. But you just in there. about our colleague, Congresswoman see, Mr. Speaker, I have firsthand That is what happened that has WILSON: name-calling. Nobody—there knowledge of the devastation of FBI brought me to this point that what we is no retribution or reprimand. None of surveillance way before the word ‘‘ter- have now is so dangerous. I hope before his constituents would give a hoot. But rorism’’ became part of our normal dis- the end of the week—maybe before the it was name-calling. cussion or language. end of tomorrow—my good friend, Gen- Mr. Speaker, you don’t know how So I want to put a pause there and eral Kelly, seeks to apologize for the many people stop me in airports, along say that in the history of African distortion. He didn’t have to defend a the road, hurt and appalled. Let me Americans, we have been subjected to person who does it in his own way and just come to a close on that. name-calling. That is what happens to besmirch all of the Gold Star families First of all, Congressman CLYBURN you when, in the Constitution, you are has already given the attributes of and this young mother who has not not a complete human being. That is been able to see her son. Congresswoman WILSON. I do want to Mr. Speaker, I know there are many what happens to you even after the add that she is a principal. She is an of us who served in this Congress who Emancipation Proclamation and the old-fashioned principal, though she is a have seen their brethren fall. They short-lived Reconstruction, the Nation young woman. rushed toward the hanging fruit, Jim have been injured. What is it like for Crowism, and the rampant murder of b 1945 their family not to be able to see the African Americans in the Deep South, She loved her students. She imple- body? What is it like to know that the some of the very States in which the mented the 5000 Role Models. She took person’s body was not found for 48 President stood and called young Afri- the children as family, and Sergeant hours? can-American men sons of Bs. David Johnson was one of those. So if I am going to get to an end for my There is another name-calling. So it people don’t understand the cultural colleagues. I just want to say this. seems that even as we have gone distinctions in the African-American There are those of us who know about through the transition of freedom and community, we are aunts and uncles the African Command. There are those we came through the 20th century with without bloodline. We are Godparents. of us who know the soldiers there. The civil rights, and then affirmative ac- We are family. Congressional Black Caucus was in- tion, that name-calling seems to be the Her presence in that car was not as strumental when George Bush said welcomed and accepted tactic to use an interloper. She didn’t break the that an African Command needs to with people of color and, in this in- door down. She was in there as family. stand up when Charles Taylor was kill- stance, African Americans. She was not eavesdropping. The phone ing his citizens in Liberia. What would be the explanation for was on. As indicated by Mrs. Johnson’s I know it firsthand. I have been to all the unseemly events that occurred interview, she asked the phone to be those countries. I know ISIL was con- around a grieving mother, aunt, uncle, put on speaker. nected with Boko Haram. We have been and a grieving widow with beautiful It seems that her offense in breaking trying to say it, but people have deaf children who no longer have their dad? down moved the Representative to ar- ears, maybe because it is Africa.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.045 H23OCPT1 H8068 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 23, 2017 Now, all of a sudden we are awake. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I include in Fred Hampton’s apartment. The raid ended Congresswoman WILSON knew that. She the RECORD: ‘‘The History of Surveil- with the Chicago Police shooting Hampton has been there. We have been there. lance and the Black Community.’’ It dead. Why don’t people listen to Black goes into the discussion. The FBI was not alone in targeting civil rights leaders. The NSA also engaged in do- women who know what they are talk- [From the Electronic Frontier Foundation, mestic spying that included Dr. King. In an ing about, along with our distinguished February 13, 2014] eerily prescient statement, Senator Walter colleagues? THE HISTORY OF SURVEILLANCE AND THE Mondale said he was concerned that the NSA This document that I hold in my BLACK COMMUNITY ‘‘could be used by President ‘A’ in the future hand, ‘‘Black Identity Extremists (By Dia Kayyali) to spy upon the American people, to chill and interrupt political dissent.’’ Likely Motivated to Target Law En- February is Black History Month and that The Church Committee was created in re- forcement Officers,’’ I have a lot to say history is intimately linked with surveil- sponse to these and other public scandals, on, but I am going to summarize. lance by the federal government in the name and was charged with getting to the bottom As a member of the Judiciary Com- of ‘‘national security.’’ Indeed, the history of of the government’s surveillance overreach. mittee, this is name-calling. We just surveillance in the African-American com- In response to its findings, Congress passed got through a reckless weekend of munity plays an important role in the de- new laws to provide privacy safeguards, in- bate around spying today and in the calls for name-calling of a distinguished Mem- cluding the Foreign Intelligence Surveil- a congressional investigation into that sur- ber of Congress. lance Act. But ever since these safeguards veillance. Days after the first NSA leaks This is name-calling. This is the FBI were put in place, the intelligence commu- emerged last June, EFF called for a new defining BIEs as individuals who seek, nity has tried to weaken or operate around Church Committee. We mentioned that Dr. through unlawful acts of force or vio- them. The NSA revelations show the urgent Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the tar- need to reform the laws governing surveil- lence, a response to perceived racism gets of the very surveillance that eventually lance and to rein in the intelligence commu- and injustice. led to the formation of the first Church Com- nity. But do you know what will happen, mittee. This Black History Month, we should Today we’re responding to those domestic Mr. Speaker? This will be a big fishnet: remember the many African-American activ- surveillance abuses by an unrestrained intel- the high school student who is getting ists who were targeted by intelligence agen- ligence branch. The overreach we’ve seen in cies. Their stories serve as cautionary tales his fists up; the college student who is the past underscores the need for reform. Es- for the expanding surveillance state. rallying around in opposition to rac- pecially during Black History Month, let’s The latest revelations about surveillance ism; the students down in Charlottes- not forget the speech-stifling history of US are only the most recent in a string of peri- ville who may believe they should government spying that has targeted com- odic public debates around domestic spying munities of color. stand up and be counted. perpetrated by the NSA, FBI, and CIA. This I know this, Mr. Speaker, because, spying has often targeted politically unpopu- Ms. JACKSON LEE. It says: ‘‘We with a little bit of humor, I am young, lar groups or vulnerable communities, in- mentioned that Dr. Martin Luther going backwards, but I served on the cluding anarchists, anti-war activists, com- King, Jr., was one of the targets of the Select Committee on Assassinations munists, and civil rights leaders. very surveillance that eventually led that investigated the assassination of 60s. COINTELPRO, short for Counter Intel- to the formation of the first Church ligence Program, was started in 1956 by the Martin Luther King—the reopening of Committee. This Black History Month, the investigation—along with John F. FBI and continued until 1971. The program was a systemic attempt to infiltrate, spy on, we should remember the many African- Kennedy. American activists who were targeted I was immersed in the files of and disrupt activists in the name of ‘‘na- tional security.’’ While it initially focused by intelligence agencies. Their stories COINTELPRO. I saw how the FBI dog- on the Communist Party, in the 1960s its serve as cautionary tales for the ex- ged a modern-day prophet, a man who focus expanded to include a wide swathe of panding surveillance state.’’ only wanted peace and believed in the activists, with a strong focus on the Black Where are the conservatives to stand beloved community. Yes, he was Panther Party and civil rights leaders such up against this document? We can be human. When you dog someone, you as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. safe, we can have the First Amend- can find them throwing gum on a side- FBI papers show that in 1962 ‘‘the FBI ment, and we speak our different walk. started and rapidly continued to gravitate Dr. Martin Luther King was sub- toward Dr. King.’’ This was ostensibly be- issues, but now we are going to entrap jected to the COINTEL program. It was cause the FBI believed black organizing was African Americans—young men who being influenced by communism. In 1963 FBI dastardly and devastating, and may are kneeling because of their concern Assistant Director William Sullivan rec- for police reform and violence that has have been the basis of the loss of his ommended ‘‘increased coverage of com- life. If he was subjected to the taken the lives of African-American munist influence on the Negro.’’ However, young men. COINTEL program, we always won- the FBI’s goal in targeting Dr. King was dered why he couldn’t have been in an- clear: to find ‘‘avenues of approach aimed at There are so many law enforcement other hotel. neutralizing King as an effective Negro lead- officers who agree with me on the idea So the danger of this document that er,’’ because the FBI was concerned that he of police reform to help all of us work has come under Donald Trump and not might become a ‘‘messiah.’’ together. We are not divided, but we under any other President—not Bill The FBI subjected Dr. King to a variety of will stay divided with a document that Clinton, not George Bush, not Presi- tactics, including bugging his hotel rooms, is going to label us. photographic surveillance, and physical ob- Where is the document for the alt- dent Obama—as I understand it, but it servation of King’s movements by FBI came in August of this year, under agents. The FBI’s actions went beyond spy- right, the religious right, the White su- President Trump, the same President ing on Dr. King, however. Using information premacists? Where is that? who could find nothing distinctive be- gained from that surveillance, the FBI sent When are we going to understand tween the alt-right and racist vileness him anonymous letters attempting to that the calling of names—in our com- talking about Jews and Blacks and ev- ‘‘blackmail him into suicide.’’ The agency munity, we call it calling me out of my erybody else in Charlottesville. There also attempted to break up his marriage by name—by the majority community is a were good people on both sides. sending selectively edited ‘‘personal mo- carryover from slavery and Jim Crow. ments he shared with friends and women’’ to I am saddened by the last couple of Now we have this document. Lo and his wife. behold, what other names of Black ac- The FBI also specifically targeted the days of steering away from the mourn- tivists and African Americans still Black Panther Party with the intention of ing of those wonderful heroes who re- fighting the war of civil rights peace- destroying it. They infiltrated the Party flected the greatness of America. They fully may be caught up in this large with informants and subjected members to reflected what young men and women net? repeated interviews. Agents sent anonymous do who are willing to sacrifice their Again, I want to be able to say my re- letters encouraging violence between street lives. They go without a recognition of spect for the service of FBI agents. gangs and the Panthers in various cities, what color their fellow soldier is. We They are friends of mine. I am on the which resulted in ‘‘the killings of four BPP honor them with no distinction. members and numerous beatings and shoot- Judiciary Committee. They are friends ings,’’ as well as letters sowing internal dis- That is what the last couple of days to all of us. We continue to salute their sension in the Panther Party. The agency should have been about, as well as the service. But this document is a riotous also worked with police departments to De- loving care of that widow and the fami- document. partment that aided in a raid on BPP leader lies of the other young men. Yet, in the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.047 H23OCPT1 October 23, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8069 spirit of the FBI COINTEL program, Therefore, it is highly insensitive, offensive This month the Congressional Black Caucus that may be the downfall, again, of and blatantly discriminative and unconstitu- has written to the FBI Director, Christopher those of us trying to heal and not re- tional to mount a counter intelligence program, Wray, to express our concern over the recent flecting on how the best way to deal now COINTELPRO 2.0, to once again, ag- ‘‘Intelligence Assessment’’ report. with those who would do us harm vio- gressively target a race that merely seeks jus- We have requested a briefing on both the lently, of which I stand against, we are tice and equality it is entitled under our Con- origins of its research and the FBI’s next in- now in the midst of name-calling. stitution. tended step based on its findings. No re- I go to my seat mourning. When is According to sources close to the FBI, the sponse as of date. America going to change? term ‘‘Black Identity Extremists’’ did not exist We should be allowed to exercise our con- On August 3, 2017, the FBI released their before the Trump administration. The FBI stitutional and fundamental rights of free new ‘‘Intelligence Assessment’’ report entitled: named BIE, a major threat to national security speech. Black Identity Extremists (BIE) Likely Moti- and public safety, thereby, criminalizing black We should not be restricted and criminalized vated to Target Law Enforcement Officers’’. activism. when we demand that those we elect to office The FBI defines BIE as individuals who The newly coined term, black identity ex- exercise justice and fairness. seek, through unlawful acts of force or vio- tremists (BIE) is such a vague terminology This FBI report will further inflame an al- lence, a response to ‘‘perceived’’ racism and that it invites alarming abuse of a specific ready damaged police/community relation injustice in American society. race’s constitutional rights based solely on an under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff The FBI also indicates, there is a desire for Administration’s disturbed and visceral ap- Sessions. black physical or psychological separation proach to race relations. Sessions has dismantled all the safeguards based on religious or political beliefs grounded Under FBI Director Edgar Hoover’s leader- installed under Attorney General Holder’s in racial superiority or supremacy. ship, the Counter Intelligence Program leadership, thus, returning our justice system Blacks fought for America long before it was (COINTELPRO), a covert, often illegal, cam- to the broken system under Ashcroft. a country, prerevolutionary period, where dur- paign was mounted to break up the civil rights Session has unleashed a merciless ap- ing the first 100 years of conflict we stepped movement and ‘‘neutralize’’ activists they per- proach to ‘‘all’’ crimes including low level drug- up; and will continue, for equality and justice. ceived as threatening. related cases, and demands that his attorneys Blacks led civil rights movement winning COINTELPRO was used to surveil and dis- prosecute every case to the fullest extent of double victories in both World War II and the credit civil rights activists, members of the the law. Jim Crow era, forcing our then President Tru- Black Panther Party and any major advocates In doing so, Session has taken away any man, to announced that ‘‘there are no justifi- for the rights of black people in our nation’s prosecutorial discretion once available to pros- able reasons for discrimination because of history. ecutors throughout our justice system under one’s ancestry, or religion, or race, or color of COINTELPRO allowed the FBI to falsify let- U.S. law. his skin.’’ ters in an effort to blackmail Martin Luther The FBI in this Trump Administration has re- Today, Trump’s FBI believes that the Afri- King Jr. into silence. turned to the era of Director Edgar Hoover, in can American community’s reality is a mere This was such a disgraceful period in our their unleashing of this damaging, discrimina- perception as it relates to the racism and in- nation’s history that our recent FBI Director, tive, and unconstitutional COINTELPRO 2.0. justice that plague our communities. Why? James Comey, kept a copy of a 1963 order With these lethal forms of attacks on the Af- The FBI has consistently relied upon a authorizing Hoover to conduct round-the-clock rican American community from both the DOJ flawed system to determine the number of surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. on his and the FBI, where is justice? people killed by officers. This flawed system is desk as a reminder of Hoover’s abuses. Mr. VEASEY. I thank my colleague shaped by ‘‘voluntary law enforcement compli- The FBI’s dedicated surveillance of black from the 18th Congressional District ance’’—in other words, police departments activists follows a long history of the U.S. gov- for her comments. need not report this stat. ernment aggressively monitoring protest Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman ‘‘The Counted’’ launched by the Guardian, is movements and working to disrupt civil rights from New Jersey (Mr. PAYNE), my a public-service project tallying deaths of un- groups, but the scrutiny of African Americans friend and classmate who represents armed persons by law enforcement. They by a domestic terrorism unit was particularly the 10th Congressional District. reached a tally of 1,068 at the start of 2015. alarming to some free speech campaigners. Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Former FBI Director Comey said, this was This administration continues the same vile the gentleman from the Lone Star embarrassing and unacceptable that a Guard- tactics used in well-documented stories of civil State, my classmate, Congressman ian U.S. investigative unit had a better tally rights leaders who were profiled, targeted and VEASEY, for hosting tonight’s Special than his agency’s near 35,000 employees. killed for insisting that black people receive Order hour. There is no reliable mechanism to accu- equitable treatment under the law in a country Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that rately depict the true dimensions of an epi- whose Constitution guarantees it. we find ourselves in this position where demic of lethal violence, force, and shootings Today the FBI continues its once intrusive, the lines are being so blurred that Gold committed by police across this country on un- abhorrent and illegal targeting of black activ- Star families have come into this polit- armed civilians. ists by labeling the Black Lives Matter move- ical discussion and are being dragged The reality is Sandra Bland died while in the ment as BIE. into this, unwillingly, over the past custody of law enforcement; Michael Brown We know that the Department of Homeland several days. was gunned down in the street by law en- Security has been surveilling Black Lives Mat- I have great respect for General Kelly forcement; Eric Garner died from a chokehold ter activists since 2014, but there’s no way to and was very delighted to see him get at the hands of law enforcement; Freddie Gray know what’s next. the job as Chief of Staff so that he died while being transported in the custody of With this recent report, the FBI has legiti- could maybe bring some semblance of law enforcement; Tamir Rice was shot dead mized the idea that black activism is a threat calm and normalcy to the White House, by a law enforcement officer previously and should be treated accordingly, with violent but it seems like he has been infected deemed an emotionally unstable recruit and force. by the disease that is the scourge in unfit for duty; and Laquan McDonald shot in Despite Charlottesville and all the other the White House. the back and killed by law enforcement offi- harms inflicted by emboldened white national- There is no reason for him to fab- cers. ists, the FBI has instead, chosen to target a ricate what one of our colleagues said. These are just a few of the innocent lives group of American citizens whom merely The videotape is there. She never did robbed and thus, gone too soon. These are decry the injustice seen and felt throughout one thing that General Kelly said she the realities not perceptions that young activ- their communities. did on that fateful day in the dedica- ists in their own modern ways represent, Despite numerous unarmed black individ- tion to that FBI building. whether it’s marching, protesting with passion, uals, particularly, young black men that are I don’t understand what is going on or even taking a knee. disproportionately the victims of police shoot- with people these days, but these are They are protesting unapologetically with ings, the FBI would like us to believe this is the times we find ourselves in. great passion and hunger for justice, but not a reality. Mr. Speaker, as much as we would nonetheless, peacefully. Instead, the FBI’s report claims there is a like to live in a colorblind society, in They are not killing others who do not agree danger in black activism by asserting that vio- an America where people should be with them; nor are they inflicting violence due lence inflicted on black people at the hands of judged by the content of their char- to religion, nationality and race. police is ‘‘perceived’’ or ‘‘alleged,’’ not real. acter and not the color of their skin,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.049 H23OCPT1 H8070 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 23, 2017 we aren’t there yet. Race, unfortu- Facebook was born in an age of diver- absolutely amazing to me. And we need nately, still matters. sity, but it was not born with a com- to, again, just continue to have this Juries devalue Black lives by pun- mitment to diversity. Only 3 in every discussion and talk about these things, ishing offenders more harshly when 100 Facebook employees are African so I thank the gentleman very much their victims are White than when American. for his comments tonight. their victims are Black. Police are The company has no Black execu- I yield to my friend and colleague more likely to use force when inter- tives, and it has no Black board mem- from the great State of Michigan, rep- acting with Black people than when bers. The company’s global director of resenting the State’s 14th Congres- interacting with White people. Emer- diversity has said that hiring women RENDA LAWRENCE. gency room doctors are less likely to sional District, B and people of color is complicated. Its Again, I want to thank BRENDA for par- prescribe pain medication to Black pa- chief executive officer, Sheryl tients than to Whites. ticipating. She participates often in Sandberg, has promised that Facebook this hour, and I just really appreciate Results from psychological studies of would hire a Black board member racial bias have shown that nearly 90 her comments. Her district appreciates sometime soon. the comments, her State, and our percent of the White people in the Why has it taken so long? Why have United States who have taken the im- country, and I appreciate her joining minority voices been left out of the es- us this evening. plicit-association test have an inherent sential media development? Has racial preference for White people over Facebook’s failure to value minority Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I Black people. Oh, yes, race matters in voices inside the company made want to thank Congressman VEASEY America, and we have got to talk about Facebook an online megaphone for rac- for his leadership and for his dedica- it. tion. It should not take a crisis for the ist voices outside the company? Facebook’s algorithms have the Today, I am at this mike for a num- United States to discuss race and the power to affect the way Americans effects of stereotypes that are baked ber of reasons. One is that we have wit- into our national cultural. We should think about Black people, for better or nessed, over the weekend, another time not have to wait for a police officer to worse. When Facebook accepts money in history that will be written for shoot an unarmed Black man before we from foreign actors who want to ex- many to read, for generations to try to discuss how negative stereotypes about ploit racial tensions in the United understand what exactly happened. Black people affect snap judgments. States, Facebook perpetuates negro- Most of us are raised that, in a time phobia. b 2000 of grieving and mourning, you are sym- By the same token, Facebook’s algo- pathetic, you are patient, and, most of It should not take mass murder in a rithms could weaken negrophobia by all, you try to be understanding. Bible study to get us talking about enhancing positive messages that chal- how negative stereotypes of Black peo- lenge people to reexamine and resist I am at a loss in trying to understand ple in social media help White su- discriminatory responses, but that will how the dialogue was reduced to name- premacists rationalize their racism. require Facebook to fully commit to calling and then just unfactual infor- Back in 1997, Professor Jody David diversity right now, not sometime in mation. But what I had hoped and what Armour warned us that bad actors the future. I feel that, as an American, as a Mem- would try to make racism seem reason- Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Black ber of Congress, as a citizen, if someone able. Professor Armour wrote a book Caucus met with Facebook a week ago gets it wrong, that at least I deserve, called ‘‘Negrophobia.’’ In it, he pre- in terms of these negative ads that ‘‘I’m sorry, I didn’t get the information dicted that ‘‘perhaps the gravest threat were found out to be bought by Russian right,’’ or maybe ‘‘I spoke out of turn.’’ today to progress toward racial justice actors and spending $100,000 in doing And when you are grieving the loss of comes from the right-wing ideologues so, and buying fake ‘‘Black Lives Mat- someone you love dearly, someone who bent on convincing White people of ter’’ responses and ads and ‘‘anti-Black was serving this country, someone good faith that negative stereotypes Lives Matter’’ ads to continue to fuel who, as the family of a military service about Blacks are justified.’’ this division in our country. person, gave the sacrifice as well for Professor Armour told us to look out If countries are able to see a weak- them to represent our country. for people trying ‘‘to prove that Blacks ness in our fabric in this Nation, then I would hope—I was hopeful that that are inherently less intelligent and they will exploit it. We have to come would happen, but it did not. There more violent than Whites.’’ And he ex- together as Americans and understand comes a point in time, Mr. Speaker, as plained that these people would try to that our issues are something that we American citizens, that we begin to make racism seem rational by using have to deal with and look each other stand up and say, as our country, there discredited studies, unscientific experi- in the face and have an honest discus- is an expectation. There is an expecta- ments, and cooked statistics. sion about. tion for those we elect, there is an ex- What have we seen on our social No one is perfect. No one is saying pectation for those in leadership, and media over the past few years? We have that one side is worse than the other, truly, there is an expectation of civil- seen that negrophobia is alive and well but we need to come together as a unit, ity and, at minimum, truth. in the United States, and social media as this great experiment called the As we know, the FBI has had a long, is its enabler. United States was meant to be, that all People like the President have used troubling history of using its broad in- men are created equal and endowed social media to spread cooked statis- vestigatory powers to target Black with certain inalienable rights—all tics and outright lies to rationalize the citizens. It is not a myth. It is a fact. Americans, not just some—and we con- racist stereotypes that Black people It has been written. During the 1960s, tinue to strive towards that goal, to- are inherently violent. Director Hoover used the counterintel- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- wards that utopia in this country. ligence program to surveil and dis- tleman will suspend. This is the greatest country in the credit civil rights activists, members Members are reminded to refrain world, and we all know it here because of the Black Panther Party. from engaging in personalities toward we benefit from it, but we have a long way to go in terms of reaching the ulti- For an example, the FBI falsified a the President. letter in an attempt to blackmail the The gentleman may proceed. mate goal. Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, countries Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I would Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King into like Russia have used social media to like to thank the gentleman from New- silence. fuel racial tensions in America’s com- ark, New Jersey, for his comments, and So the Congressional Black Caucus is munities, and White supremacists have also to talk about the fact that I am concerned by the assertion that coins a used social media to organize their glad that he mentioned Facebook, be- new term, ‘‘Black identity extremists,’’ hate. cause one of the things that really sur- and claims, with high confidence, that We must not be afraid to ask: What prised me was the fact that some of they are likely to target law enforce- role has Facebook played in fueling ne- those ads were purchased in rubles, and ment based on perceptions of police grophobia in America? no one seemed to notice that, seems brutality against African Americans.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.050 H23OCPT1 October 23, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8071 In August, the FBI Counterterrorism just been Black people standing up—it Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Division issued a chilling and out- has been all members of the United Mrs. LAWRENCE for her comments, landish warning to its agents, all hid- States, citizens saying that all lives which are very timely in light of every- den behind the veil of an internal re- matter and that we will not tolerate thing that is happening right now. port never meant to be seen by the criminal injustice against Black people Mr. Speaker, before I close out, the American people. It worries me be- and the murder rate that we see of one thing that I would like to make cause, in 2017, such a misguided and those who are of color. note of is that I think, with this hateful and dangerous report exists at b 2015 COINTELPRO 2.0 that is going on right all. now, we should take this very seri- Released just 9 days before the hate- This has been a movement in our ously. And I just want to remind every- ful violence in Charlottesville, this re- country, and now we see this internal body that may be out here listening port targets so-called Black identity labeling by our law enforcement in our right now, we talk a lot about extrem- extremists by falsely linking peaceful country. Does that cause me to feel ist groups. We talk a lot about alt- and necessary calls for justice from afraid in my own country? Does that right and KKK and White supremacist give me the fear that history is going Americans, from the African-American groups, but one thing that we have to to repeat itself because words have community, to entirely unrelated acts keep in mind is that, in the 1960s, when given permission for this to happen of violence against law enforcement. Dr. Martin Luther King came to town, when you legitimize people whose only Mr. Speaker, I served as a mayor of a he was not treated like he is now. diverse city for 14 years and had the re- purpose to stand and be in a position in I hear so many people—conserv- your community is to say that you sponsibility of an entire police force atives, liberals, Democrats, and Repub- have no value less than me and we hate for a city. I have such respect and licans—talk about how much they ad- you? mire and respect Dr. King, and right- honor for those who serve us. But do you know what? There are I understand how, when there is trou- fully so, because he earned the respect some very fine people there. Being a ble, the police run to that trouble to and the admiration that he has now, Black person in America, I can tell protect us, but I also know that the posthumously, in this country. I don’t you, we have had some fine days. I power that is held on the shield of a po- think that anyone would argue that. would not be standing here, this little But if we could travel back in time to lice force can be used for other than Black girl from Detroit, if this country protection of their people. And that in did not give me the opportunities. But the 1960s, we will find that he was not this great country that we live in, time it came from the protests; it came in that welcomed. And let’s just put aside the White su- and time again in history, some people the death and the riots of the people in premacists. Let’s put aside the alt- will use the comment: Don’t be so sen- my generation before me who would right. Let’s put aside these hateful sitive about everything that happened. not sit down and be quiet. But history has shown us, every change So now are we being told that we are forces that, again, all of us agree on that we have made in this country of not to use our constitutional rights of are bad people. But remember, when freedoms and rights have come from free speech and protests and to gather Dr. King came to some of these South- people who had the courage, the polit- to say that now you are being an ex- ern towns in the 1960s, he was not wel- ical courage, to stand up and fight for tremist? I am not going to allow that comed. He was not welcomed by people that. Is that extremism? to happen in this country, and if you at the Lions Club, people at the Elks Will you say the right to vote were want to label me, label me. But I would Club, people at the First Baptist Black extremists? Would you say that not be here today if it were not for Church, people at the Methodist the women who protest and march so those who had the political courage to Church. People thought that Dr. King that women could have the right to stand up for what is right, not just for was bad, that he was stirring up trou- vote, were they extremists? Or were Black people, but for Americans in this ble, that he was not ‘‘keeping his they Americans who believed in this country. And that is something that place,’’ and that he had come into country and had the courage to stand this report strikes a chord with me. these communities to stir up a lot of up not just for them but for genera- I stand in opposition. I understand trouble. tions to come? when someone takes their freedom to And because regular, everyday peo- Our Social Security, when we looked stand up and oppose something that is ple—again, not the Klan, not the White at—and we looked at hunger in this happening in America, and I want to supremacists, just regular, everyday, country, and people repeatedly have protect that First Amendment right. tax-paying shopkeepers in these little shown, of all ethnic groups, that noth- But if we can avoid the consequences of Southern towns—these conservative in- ing in America happens without pro- halfway speech fueled by fear and false dividuals who represented all segments tests and the courage to stand up. Are perceptions, we will be stronger as a of our society thought that Dr. King they extremists, or they part of this country. was out of place for doing what he was amazing democracy that we have? Mr. Speaker, I call on Congress to doing, because of that, the Nation re- And the threat of being labeled by join me and my colleagues in con- acted. And one of those people who re- our FBI so you have permission to now demning this report and standing with acted against Dr. King, against Mal- treat these individuals, who have the us for a more peaceful, a more accept- colm X, and against other organiza- courage to stand up, as unlawful vil- ing, and a more equal country where tions like the Southern Christian Lead- lains and terrorists, and you have the we can really mean, when we stand up ership Conference, SNCC, which was permission now by the FBI to attack and we say the Pledge of Allegiance the Student Nonviolent Coordinating and to imprison them. and we say, ‘‘one nation under God, in- Committee, and many, many others, We must, as a Congress and a coun- divisible, with liberty and justice for they ran the domestic counterintel- try, learn to understand the power of all,’’ and for all of us we have a name. ligence program that you have heard our words, and I am going to close with We have a name that we were given about tonight, this COINTELPRO, and this. at birth, and we expect our leadership, it became a weapon that was used to Your words mean something. If this our President, our Congress, our Chief spy on individuals. administration has taught us anything, of Staff, our military to address us by We heard mentioned earlier that our the words of those who are elected to our names. It is not acceptable, it is colleague, BARBARA LEE, was one of leadership do matter, whether it is the embarrassing for us as a country, to re- these people who was monitored. But truth or whether it is a lie. It matters. duce ourselves to that level. And I this was happening to everyday African It fuels anger and hatred in people. It stand here tonight, on the RECORD, Americans who were just out there try- tells people that it is okay to dis- that I am an American. I am a Member ing to make sure that we can vote and respect others. Words mean something. of Congress. I am a woman. I am an Af- that our water fountains and our And for me to be a Black woman in rican American. I deserve respect, and schools weren’t segregated. And these America and be labeled, if I stand up I expect all of our colleagues to con- regular town folk—again, the ones that and fight for my rights, if I stand with duct themselves the same way, includ- weren’t in the Klan, that were just others, if Black Lives Matter has not ing the President of the United States. good old folks that went to Sunday

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.052 H23OCPT1 H8072 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 23, 2017 school and went to church every Sun- very open and blatant in saying that killed by police in the United States day—were trying to prevent this from you can’t have a multicultural society each year are African Americans. That happening, and J. Edgar Hoover that exists. We need to take that is a reality. That is not a perception. stepped in and decided that he was threat very seriously. Nearly 99 percent of police-involved going to discredit, disrupt, and neu- Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentle- shootings have not resulted in any offi- tralize these organizations, again, that woman from California (Ms. LEE) so cers involved being convicted of a were just trying to make sure that Af- she can tell her story, and I thank her crime. Now, that is a reality, not a per- rican Americans were no longer sec- for joining us this evening. ception. ond-class citizens. Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Con- I also want to be very clear that I think these groups and these orga- gressman VEASEY for yielding, but also Black identity extremism does not nizations and these individuals that I for his remarkable leadership here in exist. It is simply not real. No aca- mentioned earlier within the Black Congress and for hosting this very im- demics or journalists have uncovered community that were willing to be portant Special Order this evening. such a movement. No one has identi- part of that circle, I know that I would Mr. Speaker, I rise, along with my fied as a leader of such a movement. No not be here serving had it not been for colleagues in the Congressional Black act of hate or violence has been com- that surveillance that they endured, Caucus, with a message for the Amer- mitted in the name of Black identity and I know that I would not be here ican people: Wake up. COINTELPRO 2.0 extremism. today were it not for them putting is on the rise. So what is it, then? It is a twisted at- their lives on the line, quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, now, in a report that tempt by arbiters of the alt-right, in- Mr. Speaker, because of that. was never supposed to see the light of cluding Attorney General Jeff Sessions So what I would just like to say is it day, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Divi- and this administration, to deflect at- is important that we monitor every- sion branded African Americans in the tention from the realities of police thing that is coming out of the Justice fight for equality and justice as Black misconduct and the alt-right and White Department in relation to any an- identity extremists that pose a domes- supremacy. nouncements that they are going to tic threat to police officers. First let me thank Congressman VEASEY for make about investigating these organi- Now, I have witnessed many covert his remarkable leadership in Congress and for zations that they disagree with politi- tactics designed to suppress African- hosting this vitally important Special Order cally because it is dangerous, and we American activism in my life, but the hour. don’t want to go back to those times. revelation of this report is one of the Mr. Speaker I rise today along with my col- We don’t want to end up in a situation most troubling details I have ever leagues in the Congressional Black Caucus where the organization is doing any learned about our government. with a message for the American people. sort of domestic spying on people who I remember very clearly the days of Wake up! COINTELPRO 2.0 is on the rise. are practicing their First Amendment COINTELPRO under J. Edgar Hoover. Mr. Speaker, in a report that was never sup- rights of free speech. As a community worker who worked posed to see the light of day, the FBI’s Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire closely with the Black Panther Party Counterterrorism Division branded African how much time is remaining on the in their Ten-Point Platform, which Americans that fight for equality and justice as clock. made programs like Free Breakfast for ‘‘Black Identity Extremists’’ that pose a domes- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- Children possible and paved the way for tic threat to police officers. tleman from Texas has 7 minutes re- our government’s free breakfast pro- I have witnessed many covert tactics de- maining. gram for low-income children, I wit- signed to suppress African American activism Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, let me nessed firsthand how the lives of good in my life, but the revelation of this report is also, again, talk about, very briefly, people doing good work were destroyed one of the most troubling details I have ever some of the things that people are con- by COINTELPRO. learned about our government. cerned about in regards to civil lib- Seeing the emergence of what is ef- I remember clearly the days of erties during the Cold War. That is fectively COINTELPRO 2.0 is not only COINTELPRO under J. Edgar Hoover. when the FBI started running a lot of alarming, it is frightening. Just listen As a community worker who worked closely these counterintelligence programs, to how the FBI describes young women with the Black Panther Party on their 10 point and Dr. King was always very high on who take a stand for justice. platform, which made programs like free the list. That is what people are con- According to the FBI: ‘‘Black iden- breakfast for children possible, I witnessed cerned about. Their concerns are con- tity extremist, BIE, perceptions of po- firsthand how the lives of good people doing cerns that are very warranted because lice brutality against African Ameri- good work were destroyed by COINTELPRO. of what happened. cans’’ has been responsible for ‘‘an in- So seeing the emergence of what is effec- I know that people always say: Well, crease in premeditated, retaliatory le- tively COINTELPRO 2.0 is not only alarming it those things happened a long, long thal violence against law enforcement is frightening. time ago. But, in reality, there are peo- and will very likely serve as justifica- Just listen to how the FBI describes young ple who serve with us in this body who, tion for such violence in the future.’’ men and women who take a stand for justice. sadly, remember those days. So it My God. According to the FBI: didn’t happen that long ago because ‘‘Black Identity Extremist (BIE) perceptions b 2030 they are still here, and they are still of police brutality against African Americans’’ active, very healthy members of soci- Mr. Speaker, we know that all police has been responsible for ‘‘an increase in pre- ety. They weren’t Members of Congress officers aren’t bad actors. Actually, meditated, retaliatory lethal violence against back then, but they are now, and they thousands of officers, the majority of law enforcement and will very likely serve as saw this up front. They saw this in a officers, go to work every morning to justification for such violence’’ in the future. very personal way, and that is impor- protect our communities and to pro- Mr. Speaker, we know that all police officers tant. vide public safety for everyone, but I aren’t bad actors. Thousands of officers go to Also, one of the things that was men- want to be very clear about two things, work every morning to protect our commu- tioned earlier by Representative PAYNE Mr. Speaker. nities. from Newark, New Jersey, was the fact Police brutality is not, as they said But I want to be very clear about two things about social media. Social media has in this FBI report, a perception. Police Mr. Speaker: Police brutality is not a percep- been very convenient. It has helped brutality is a reality African Ameri- tion. Police brutality is a reality African Ameri- spawn new wealth in this country. It cans grapple with every day. cans grapple with every day. has brought us together like never be- African Americans are three times African Americans are three times more fore, but it can also tear us apart if we more likely to be killed by police than likely to be killed by police than white people. let it. White people. That is a reality. That is That is a reality, not a perception. We have to be very serious when we not a perception. The facts speak for Despite being only 13% of our population, have a foreign entity, a foreign country themselves. nearly 25% of those killed by police in the that doesn’t like America, that doesn’t Despite being only 13 percent of our U.S. each year are African Americans like our values, and they have been population, nearly 25 percent of those That is a reality, not a perception.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:04 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K23OC7.053 H23OCPT1 October 23, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8073

And nearly 99% of case of police involved gressman THOMPSON and Congressman CUM- which focused on King and the SCLC as shootings have not resulted in any officers in- MINGS in demanding that the FBI come clean well as the Student Nonviolent Coordi- volved being convicted of a crime. about this report. nating Committee (SNCC), the Revolu- That is a reality, not a perception. Enough is enough. tionary Action Movement (RAM), the I also want to be very clear that Black Iden- Mr. VEASEY. I yield back the bal- Deacons for Defense and Justice, Con- tity Extremism does not exist. ance of my time. gress of Racial Equality (CORE), and It is simply is not real. Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, in my the Nation of Islam. BLACK HATE es- No academics or journalists have uncovered role as a member of the House Com- tablished the so-called Ghetto Inform- such a movement. mittee on the Judiciary, I have always ant Program and instructed 23 FBI of- No one has identified as a leader of such a taken a serious view of my oversight of fices to ‘‘disrupt, misdirect, discredit, movement the Federal Bureau of Investigations. or otherwise neutralize the activities And no act of hate or violence has been It is vitally important that we keep a of black-nationalist hate type organi- committed in the name of Black Identity Extre- close watch on the activities of law en- zations.’’ mism. forcement, especially regarding their The program was successfully kept So what is it then? operations in domestic intelligence secret until 1971, when the Citizens’ Black Identity Extremism is a twisted at- gathering. In the wake of September Commission to Investigate the FBI tempt by arbiters of the alt-right, including 11th attacks, a time of crisis when civil burgled an FBI field office in Media, President Trump and Jeff Sessions to deflect liberties can be viewed as a luxury, it Pennsylvania, took several dossiers, attention from the realities of Police brutality was important to ensure that all Amer- and exposed the program by passing and white supremacy. icans could rely on the Constitution to this material to news agencies. In 1976, That is why members of the Congressional both protect our rights and protect the ‘‘Church Committee’’ (Sen. Frank Black Caucus are here this evening. To sound public safety. Church–Idaho) launched a major inves- the alarm. As we all know, the FBI has a long, tigation of the FBI and COINTELPRO. This is not just another revelation or press troubling history of using its broad in- Journalists and historians speculate report that should be dismissed. vestigatory powers to vulnerable or that the government has not fully re- This kind of hateful stigmatization presents dissenting groups in our society. As a leased the many dossiers and docu- a serious threat to the African American com- long-serving member, I was here in ments related to the program. munity. This is not mere speculation, Mr. Congress when the reports of the FBI’s Against this backdrop, the Congres- Speaker. surveillance activities against African- sional Black Caucus is justified in its If we’re honest about the history of our na- American groups involved in the strug- concern about the FBI’s investigation tion, we must admit that the FBI has a dis- gle for civil rights first surfaced in the of African-American political organiza- turbing history of surveillance and intimidation press. tions. The coining of the phrase ‘‘Black of African Americans for political expediency. Centralized operations under Identity Extremists’’ and claims with I remember all too clearly the lives that were COINTELPRO officially began in Au- ‘‘high confidence’’ that these groups cut short during the civil rights movement gust 1956 with a program designed to are likely to target law enforcement through the highly coordinated counterintel- ‘‘increase factionalism, cause disrup- based on ‘‘perceptions of police bru- ligence program known as COINTELPRO. tion and win defections’’ inside Amer- For 15 years under the direction of FBI Di- tality against African Americans’’ ican Communist Party. Tactics in- rector J. Edgar Hoover, the federal govern- takes us back to claims about groups cluded anonymous phone calls, IRS au- ment spied on civil rights leaders and sowed like the Black Panthers in the 1960’s. dits, and the creation of documents While it is important that the FBI division among African Americans with one that would divide the American com- monitor all threats domestic, its ac- express goal. munist organization internally. An Oc- To ‘‘expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or tivities around the American Muslim tober 1956 memo from Hoover reclassi- otherwise neutralize’’ any individual or group community and efforts to ‘‘combat vio- fied the FBI’s ongoing surveillance of deemed to be subversive or a threat to the es- lent extremism’’ have raised questions black leaders, including it within tablished power structure. about tactics and constitutional Members of the Black Panther Party were COINTELPRO, with the justification norms. The CBC has called for an FBI the greatest victims of this vitriolic pursuit. that the movement was infiltrated by briefing on the origins on this research Under the guise of COINTELPRO FBI communists. and the Bureau’s intended next steps. I agents harassed, intimidated and committed In 1956, Hoover sent an open letter have supported this request in my role acts of violence against Black Panthers and denouncing Dr. T.R.M. Howard, a civil as Ranking Member on the Judiciary their supporters. rights leader, surgeon, and wealthy en- Committee and intend to keep a close Men and women were killed as a result of trepreneur in Mississippi who had criti- eye on the Bureau’s activities. This is this program. We simply cannot allow govern- cized FBI inaction in solving recent not the time for a COINTELPRO 2.0 in ment sanctioned violence to develop against murders of George W. Lee, Emmett America. innocent African Americans fighting for the Till, and other black people in the Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. perfection of our union. South. When the Southern Christian Mr. Speaker, the Federal Bureau of Investiga- As the conscience of Congress, members of Leadership Conference (SCLC), was tion (FBI) published a report on August 3rd the Congressional Black Caucus are deter- founded in 1957, the FBI began to mon- with findings that ‘‘black identity extremists’’ mined to stop COINTELPRO 2.0 dead in its itor and target the group almost imme- and their views on police brutality have very tracks. diately, focusing particularly on Bay- likely contributed to an uptick in premeditated That is why we are demanding that the FBI ard Rustin, Stanley Levison, and, even- violence against police officers. While many give a full account to Congress on the devel- tually, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. questions about the origins and intentions be- opment of this report and the sources used to During the 1960’s Director J. Edgar hind this report still remain unanswered, I can- inform it. Hoover also used COINTELPRO to spy not help but feel that this troubling assessment It has been said that those who do not know on and attempt to discredit civil rights is reminiscent of the 1960’s era Counter Intel- their history are doomed to repeat. activists and members of the Black ligence Program (COINTELPRO) that targeted Well Mr. Speaker, we are here to give the Panther Party. black activists during the Civil Rights Move- American people and the Trump Administra- After the 1963 March on Washington, ment. tion a history lesson. Hoover singled out King as a major tar- There are no doubts that the 2012 shooting Clearly the FBI has not learned from its mis- get for COINTELPRO. Soon after, the of Treyvon Martin or the 2014 death of Mi- takes. But I want to be clear about one thing, FBI was systematically bugging King’s chael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri have under no circumstances will we allow another home and his hotel rooms, as they were paved the way for increased tension within our generation of African Americans to be sub- now aware that King was growing in communities. The subsequent protests and jected to unwarranted surveillance and harass- stature daily as the leader among lead- rise of the Black Lives Matter movement born ment. ers of the Civil Rights Movement. out of the 2013 acquittal of Treyvon Martin’s It will not happen, not on our watch. Amidst the urban unrest of July–Au- murderer fueled further tension between law Istand with our Chairman Congressman gust 1967, the FBI began enforcement and racial minorities. However, RICHMOND, Congressman CONYERS, Con- ‘‘COINTELPRO—BLACK HATE’’, these protests—while interspersed with bouts

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Oct 24, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A23OC7.035 H23OCPT1 H8074 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 23, 2017 of violence—have been largely peaceful at Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transpor- 2884. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, their core. tation and Infrastructure. U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Interestingly, we have yet to also see a 2876. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, Security, transmitting the Department’s Office of Regulations and Administrative temporary final rule — Special Local Regu- comparable FBI report investigating the white Law, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of lation; Cumberland River, Nashville, TN supremacists that have emerged during rallies Homeland Security, transmitting the De- [Docket No.: USCG-2017-0812] (RIN: 1625- in Charlottesville, VA and other parts of the partment’s temporary final rule — Safety AA08) received October 17, 2017, pursuant to country. This apparent double standard sets a Zone; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Camp 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. dangerous precedent for race relations in the Lejeune, NC [Docket No.: USCG-2017-0792] 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on United States. The FBI’s recent report is also (RIN: 1625-AA00) received October 17, 2017, Transportation and Infrastructure. extremely troubling given the rise and promi- pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 2885. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Com- U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland nence of far-right movements throughout the mittee on Transportation and Infrastruc- Security, transmitting the Department’s country during this tense moment in our his- ture. final rule — Special Local Regulations and tory. 2877. A letter from the General Counsel, Safety Zones; Recurring Marine Events Held Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Black Cau- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in the Coast Guard Sector Northern New cus has called for an FBI briefing on the ori- transmitting the Commission’s final rule — England Captain of the Port Zone [Docket gins of this report and the Bureau’s intentions Remedial Action Schemes Reliability Stand- No.: USCG-2016-0998] (RIN: 1625-AA08; AA00) ard [Docket No.: RM16-20-000; Order No.: 837] on next steps. I will join my colleagues in ea- received October 17, 2017, pursuant to 5 received October 13, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. gerly awaiting a response from the FBI, so U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on that we can make sure that there is no impro- 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En- Transportation and Infrastructure. priety or racial bias fueling this investigation. I ergy and Commerce. 2886. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, am disappointed in the FBI’s report and urge 2878. A letter from the Director, Office of U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland my colleagues to tread carefully as we look to Congressional Affairs, Nuclear Regulator Security, transmitting the Department’s avoid a repeat of history by using government Commission, transmitting the Commission’s temporary final rule — Safety Zone; Pacific regulatory guidance — Physical Inventories institutions and resources to unfairly target ra- Ocean, Kilauea Lava Flow Ocean Entry on and Material Balances at Fuel Cycle Facili- Southeast Side of Island of Hawaii, HI cial minorities. ties (Regulatory Guide 5.88) received October [Docket No.: USCG-2017-0172] (RIN: 1625- f 3, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Pub- AA00) received October 17, 2017, pursuant to lic Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the ADJOURNMENT 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. Committee on Energy and Commerce. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I move 2879. A letter from the Director, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure. that the House do now adjourn. Congressional Affairs, Nuclear Regulatory 2887. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, The motion was agreed to; accord- Commission, transmitting the Commission’s Office of Regulations and Administrative NUREG revision — Consolidated Guidance ingly (at 8 o’clock and 32 minutes Law, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of About Materials Licenses: Program-Specific Homeland Security, transmitting the De- p.m.), under its previous order, the Guidance About Service Provider Licenses partment’s temporary final rule — Safety House adjourned until tomorrow, Tues- (NUREG-1556, Volume 18, Revision 1) re- Zone; Roanoke River, Plymouth, NC [Docket day, October 24, 2017, at 10 a.m. for ceived October 4, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. No.: USCG-2017-0886] (RIN: 1625-AA00) re- morning-hour debate. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 ceived October 17, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and f 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Commerce. Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transpor- EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, 2880. A letter from the Director, Office of tation and Infrastructure. ETC. Congressional Affairs, Nuclear Regulatory 2888. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, Commission, transmitting the Commission’s Office of Regulations and Administrative Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive regulatory guidance — Emergency Planning Law, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of communications were taken from the for Research and Test Reactors and Other Homeland Security, transmitting the De- Speaker’s table and referred as follows: Non-Power Production and Utilization Fa- partment’s temporary final rule — Safety 2872. A letter from the Acting Adminis- cilities (Regulatory Guide 2.6, Revision 2) re- Zone; Patapsco River, Northwest and Inner trator, Agricultural Marketing Service, Spe- ceived October 3, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Harbors; Baltimore, MD [Docket No.: USCG- cialty Crops Program, Department of Agri- 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 2017-0808] (RIN: 1625-AA00) received October culture, transmitting the Department’s final Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and 17, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); rule — Pecans Grown in the States of Ala- Commerce. Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to 2881. A letter from the Director, Office of bama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Flor- the Committee on Transportation and Infra- Congressional Affairs, Nuclear Regulatory ida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, structure. Commission, transmitting the Commission’s Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, 2889. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, regulatory guides withdrawal — ‘‘Conduct of Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas; Es- U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Nuclear Material Physical Inventories’’, and tablishment of Assessment Rates [Doc. No.: Security, transmitting the Department’s ‘‘Statistical Evaluation of Material Unac- AMS-SC-17-0027; SC17-986-1 FR] received Oc- temporary final rule — Safety Zone, Blue counted For’’ [NRC-2017-0196] received Octo- tober 6, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Angels Air Show; St. Johns River, Jackson- ber 3, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); ville, FL [Docket No.: USCG-2017-0577] (RIN: 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to 1625-AA11) received October 17, 2017, pursuant Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture. the Committee on Energy and Commerce. to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, 2873. A communication from the President 2882. A letter from the Deputy Assistant Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on of the United States, transmitting an Execu- Administrator for Regulator Programs, Transportation and Infrastructure. tive Order amending Executive Order 13223, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, Na- 2890. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1601 (H. Doc. No. 115— tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland 73); to the Committee on Armed Services and tion, transmitting the Administration’s final Security, transmitting the Department’s ordered to be printed. rule — Endangered and Threatened Wildlife temporary interim rule — Safety Zone; Sec- 2874. A letter from the Counsel, Legal Divi- and Plants: Final Rule To List the Maui Dol- tor Key West COTP Zone Post Storm Recov- sion, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, phin as Endangered and the South Island ery, Atlantic Ocean, FL [Docket No.: USCG- transmitting the Bureau’s final rule — Equal Hector’s Dolphin as Threatened Under the 2017-0939] (RIN: 1625-AA00) received October Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B) Eth- Endangered Species Act [Docket No.: 17, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); nicity and Race Information Collection 160614520-7805-02] (RIN: 0648-XE686) received Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to [Docket No.: CFPB-2017-0009] (RIN: 3170- October 17, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. the Committee on Transportation and Infra- AA65) received October 2, 2017, pursuant to 5 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 structure. U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Re- 2891. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Fi- sources. U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland nancial Services. 2883. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, Security, transmitting the Department’s 2875. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland temporary interim rule — Safety Zone; At- Office of Regulations and Administrative Security, transmitting the Department’s lantic Intracoastal Waterway, Socastee, SC Law, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of temporary final rule — Special Local Regu- [Docket No.: USCG-2017-0801] (RIN: 1625- Homeland Security, transmitting the De- lation; Tennessee River, Chattanooga, TN AA00) received October 17, 2017, pursuant to partment’s temporary final rule — Safety [Docket No.: USCG-2017-0727] (RIN: 1625- 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. Zone, Delaware River; Dredging [Docket No.: AA08) received October 17, 2017, pursuant to 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on USCG-2017-0947] (RIN: 1625-AA00) received 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. Transportation and Infrastructure. October 17, 2017, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on 2892. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Transportation and Infrastructure. U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland

VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:35 Nov 15, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD17\OCTOBER\H23OC7.REC H23OC7