May 22, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4821 A third letter addressed to me states: make the situation right, just ignore them I hope that image is one that will Dear Congressman LaMalf: I cannot thank and hope they go away or to not process a stay with you, all who have seen this you enough for the work you and your staff claim properly for over 15 years. or will see this all across our country. have done— This is a real letter from a real Oak- Much more needs to be done, not just a big credit to my staff who worked land VA employee. It continues: pretty words, not just press con- very hard on this— The claims have been sitting for over a ferences, not we will look into it or for the veterans in the northern California year, after having been screened last by a that we will throw money at it. area. One particular case should have been group of VSRs and no action taken because Congress does stand prepared to en- decided with the evidence on hand last year. they were sitting in someone’s office, then in sure that there is adequate funding to I read the examination today and found that some storage closet by the director’s office do it right, but we also expect that the on the 17th floor of the Oakland Federal the exams have been in the system, and dollars that taxpayers send to the gov- there has been no action on that claim for building. Again, I have made multiple statements to ernment are used wisely and efficiently what the system states is waiting for the ex- many agencies of the U.S. Government in and not for bonuses for people that are aminations. The information is there, and hopes that the illegal and unprofessional the rating should be completed based on the acting not just ineptly, but, I believe, conduct from the management would stop, evidence on hand. Please keep advocating for corruptly. but the parties who I have reported to this, the veterans. I cannot thank you enough. I It is time to stop rewarding this bad with ample amounts of evidence provided, am a veteran myself who served honorably behavior with more accountability. have explained that the corruption cannot be for over 9 years and was not provided the Americans have seen these stories. stopped without some sort of ethical inves- benefits from the VA per the law until I—the tigation conducted. These horror stories are demanding a veteran who is now an Oakland employee— Please initiate some type of ethical inves- fix for the veterans health care system started working for the DVA myself and tigation by an agency that is not going to and their benefits. We must also de- found out everything I was not informed on. try to cover up what they find, rather report mand an end to the phony claims, b 1345 the truth and do the right thing. phony numbers, decades of waiting. It I have been a law enforcement officer in I left the U.S. Marine Corps, after serving isn’t just ineptness or miscues or er- the U.S. Marine Corps, and I know that what rors. Someone is very deliberate and, I honorably as a military police K–9 officer is going on at the Oakland regional office and member of the SWAT team. I worked with me and other veterans. It is wrong per think, worthy of prosecution as fraud. hard and, as a result of my disabilities, re- the law, not my opinion. I thank those VA employees who quired several surgeries and, recently, due to Please, Congressman LaMalfa, assist us in have been bold enough to step forward the hostile work environment at work, have whatever you can do. The veterans deserve and let us know about what is going on become progressively worse. better. in the backrooms behind the scenes. I have tried to report this to management, They are good employees who just but they did not like hearing the truth and Semper Fi, USMC Disabled. started to make my life at work miserable 2 This is what it looks like. There are want to see veterans served all across years ago. The news is starting to pick up on unfinished files sitting in the hallways, the country, so we want to hear more what I have tried, myself, to report regard- previously found in a broom closet. of these stories from anybody who ing unethical conduct in the VA. Prior to the Lastly, in a letter from yet another might be watching or see this all news picking up on the real problems at the person who stepped forward when they across the country. VA, I have been reporting this information finally saw somebody fighting back at Contact your own Congressman, con- to the Senate and Congress Members in the different levels, our Veterans’ Com- tact us, contact whoever will listen and Bay Area’s district. seek remedies that mean something as I have reported this to the VA Office of In- mittee and other offices around the spector General on two different occasions. I country, they see the shame being we celebrate our fallen veterans this have reported this to the GAO. I have re- brought upon our veterans and, with weekend. It isn’t just about barbecues ported problems at the Oakland VA to the that, our country. and skiing and picnics. Let’s remember Federal Labor Relations Office of the Gen- This letter says: and honor these people. eral Counsel for 2 years, with no assistance. There are huge amounts of these claims The system is broken, but it doesn’t I have three EEO claims, with one more in that are quite old, but because they are re- have to be if we are willing to demand the works, that have not been processed by classified, are not worked expeditiously. accountability and demand it imme- the VA ethically or morally, according to Lots of these claims go back several years, diately. That is what I am about, what the applicable laws, up to and including the but they are being worked as if they are only my office will be about, my staff, but OEDCA in Washington, D.C. 2 or 3 years old because they are in a dif- I am begging you to please open a formal also many of my colleagues that either ferent group, and that is not considered a serve on the Veterans’ Affairs Com- investigation into the unethical conduct of priority. the VA Oakland regional office. A lot of these claims, the 930 series, are re- mittee or don’t. The unethical conduct I know of is the fact view claims created because they found We will continue to spotlight this that the Oakland VA management has not something wrong that we did. Usually, it is and make sure that the stories are been held accountable for the misconduct or not logging in evidence in time before the heard all across the country, and those several felony violations that has been re- claim is closed. who are doing this to our veterans, cently reported by me. I personally logged in evidence on May 16, these criminal acts, ultimately will be Since coming out as a whistleblower, I 2014, that was received by our regional office have had many employees discretely discuss held responsible. and date-stamped August 1, 2013. The claim So I thank the whistleblowers, those some extremely disturbing information with had been closed months before, but because me regarding what is actually going on in this evidence had not been logged in, it had VA employees who do care. We know the VA and why the management is trying to also not been considered in the decision, there are many, many of you and stop me at all costs. which was a denial of benefits. Things like thank you for your effort. God bless The unethical conduct goes far beyond my this happen every day. our veterans who have suffered and are employment difficulties at the VA Oakland Now, we open a review claim that will not still waiting and know that you have regional office. I have come to find out that get worked for months and, sometimes, a allies in this place who will see this the Oakland regional office is not only lying year or more. We have veterans that are ter- to Congress about their numbers, but the through and get you the service you minal and asking for aid and attendants, and deserve. Oakland office is hiding claims that were re- you would think that these claims, along ceived in 1999. with the older date of claims of the home- God bless you all. God bless America. I have seen these claims in the office as less, would be worked first, but a lot of the Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance late as May 20, 2014. These claims should be times, they are not. of my time. in the claims files if there is not action be- If the regional office can do several easy f cause the veteran has died in the process, claims, like hearing loss, tinnitus, then they not still sitting around the office for over 15 will do that because then more claims are ADDRESSING SENATORS’ years. taken off the books, even though these may COMMENTS There are a number of claims that are over not be the veterans with the most need. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. a year old. There are many more that have been ‘‘lost in transit’’ to the scan sites, often So, there, you see manipulation of VALADAO). Under the Speaker’s an- in some other State. The VA is ethically statistics, manipulation of timing, nounced policy of January 3, 2013, the challenged, but this is unacceptable, to lose making the numbers look better, and Chair recognizes the gentleman from a veteran’s claim and not tell them or try to not making the veterans feel better. Iowa (Mr. KING) for 30 minutes.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:54 May 23, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K22MY7.053 H22MYPT1 tjames on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H4822 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 22, 2014 Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, it is to enhance the economic, the social, were so, Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe it my honor and privilege to address you and the cultural well-being of the is so. Yes, there is some influence here on the floor of the United States United States of America. there. History will decide how much— House of Representatives, and I come It can’t be for the Democratic Party not me, not CHUCK SCHUMER. to the floor this afternoon, Mr. Speak- of the United States of America be- Here is his goal: I believe that Sen- er, to address you and bring up the cause they are so closely aligned—in ator SCHUMER has concluded that he topic of the dialogue that has been—I fact, they have enveloped the entire could taunt the leadership and the will say flowing forth on the floor of Progressive Party. The Progressive House of Representatives, and that in- the United States Senate over the last Party comes to this floor on a regular cludes our Speaker of the House, into few weeks. basis and gives speeches and presents bringing amnesty legislation to the As I listened to that dialogue and lis- their position. floor of the House because, if it does tened to the way they have taken Saul Their position, at one time, could be and if it should pass, the Senate would Alinsky’s ‘‘Rules for Radicals’’ and de- found on the Democratic Socialists of conform with any amnesty legislation cided that they are going to implement America Web site, dsausa.org. There, because they are controlled by Demo- them and deploy them on the floor of socialism is celebrated. As Progres- crats. the United States Senate, it occurs to sives celebrate socialism, they are I have long known and long been re- me that when, out of the mouths of wrapped up inside the Democratic strained by people in my own party, people like Senator SCHUMER and Sen- Party. Mr. Speaker, from laying out the argu- ator REID and Senator DURBIN come We don’t adhere to that on my side. ment as to why almost every Democrat these allegations—and sometimes alle- We adhere to the rule of law and the I know wants open borders and am- gations that name and target Members Constitution, a secure border, a sov- nesty and a never-ending supply of ille- of the House of Representatives, it oc- ereign United States of America, and a gal aliens in the United States of curs to me that, when I came to this policy for immigration that is designed America. Congress, Mr. Speaker, in 2003, there to enhance the economic, social, and It is a pretty easy formula to figure was a rule that existed here that pre- cultural well-being of the United out, especially if you sit here for 10 or vented a Member of the House of Rep- States of America. a dozen years engaged in hearings and resentatives from naming a United We have enough common sense, Mr. debate on a weekly basis, you begin to States Senator here on the floor. Speaker, to know that our country is hear the thread of their conversation It was kind of a shield of protec- limited in size and scope. It is a large and you begin to understand the real tionism, so that the Senators could not country, but we cannot be the relief truth behind their motives. It works be directly criticized in the dialogue valve for all of the poverty in the out to be this: that we have here on the floor. world. Of course there are a large number of My good friend and then-Member of There are 7 billion people on the illegal immigrants in the United Congress, Tom Feeney from Florida, planet, and if they all have good sense, States. We have been using the number read through the rules, as a good, hon- they would all want to live here. We 11 million since we stopped using the est lawyer, newly elected to the United need some of them in those countries number 12 million, but they didn’t stop States Congress would, and he saw that to rebuild those countries and establish coming into America. I don’t quite un- rule and wondered: Why can’t we utter American principles, so that they can derstand why we would think that the name of a United States Senator on enjoy the prosperity that we enjoy, re- there are fewer illegal aliens in Amer- the floor of the House of Representa- constructed around first principles, in ica today than there were 10 years ago. tives? the other countries of the world. I believe there are more. He could come up with no reason why If they come across the border at the we shouldn’t be able to do that, and so b 1400 rates that the witnesses from the Bor- he brought an amendment to the rules We need to lead the world. We don’t der Patrol and other witnesses in the that struck that prohibition, and need to necessarily bring all the world hearings have been testifying, they will thereafter, thanks to then-Congress- here to feed the world here in the say that they will stop perhaps 25 per- man Tom Feeney of Orlando, the rule United States. And so, an extreme cent that try. When I go down to the is gone. It was amended, and that is a outlier, not so. CHUCK SCHUMER rep- border and ask them, they will say, good thing because, now, I can actually resents the extreme outliers, and they well, 10 percent has to come first. It is name the people who are attacking me are socialists, Marxists, progressives, probably not 10. Some will say, with a on the floor of the United States Sen- liberal Democrats. I am sure that one little smirk, 3 percent is maybe what ate, and let you know, Mr. Speaker, of those labels will be one that he has we stop. what is going on in that other body, already embraced, Mr. Speaker. If I take the 25 percent, 25 percent ef- that body that constantly calls for bi- Second quote, Senator CHUCK SCHU- fectiveness on our border and you look partisan work and bipartisan coopera- MER of me, STEVE KING: at those whom they do interdict on the tion. The rhetoric of Steve King is beyond the border and you do the calculation, that This is what I get from Senator pale. I am certain that the majority of Re- turns out to be a number that is equiv- CHUCK SCHUMER, New York, May 1, publicans in the House have their stomachs alent to 11,000 a night—on average, 2014, on the floor of the United States churn when they see Steve King spew that 11,000 a night coming across our south- Senate. He decided he would target me kind of rhetoric. ern border. That would be at some of and blame me for the things that he be- That is not exactly collegial dia- the peak levels that we have, Mr. lieves are failures of the entire House logue, Mr. Speaker, to see that kind of Speaker. I would think it is more ob- of Representatives. thing. What I wonder is why would jective for us to dial that number back Here are some of the quotes that CHUCK SCHUMER think that he would down to somewhere in the neighbor- CHUCK SCHUMER uttered on that day of know when the stomachs of Repub- hood of about half of that. So half of May 1 from the floor of the United licans might churn. I think they might 11,000, 5,500 a night is pretty close to States Senate. He called me ‘‘an ex- churn when they hear him say those the last reliable information that I treme outlier on the issue of immigra- things. Although, rest easy, Mr. Speak- found on how many are coming across tion reform.’’ er, mine doesn’t. our border illegally. I would direct CHUCK SCHUMER to the I take this all with good humor be- Well, so I asked this question: What Republican Party platform. You will cause I understand that it is a tactic. was the size of Santa Anna’s army? find there language in the Republican It is an Alinsky tactic, and it is de- About that, about 5,500 or 6,000. So it Party platform that supports the posi- signed to bring out a goal. It is not gives you a sense, the size of Santa tion I have long held on immigration, necessarily to raise me up to the point Anna’s army coming across our south- and that position that I hold is this: We where he assigns me with the full sense ern border every night, on average. I need to respect the rule of law. We need of responsibility and authority to de- don’t say day and night. Most of it is at to secure our borders. We need to have termine immigration policy here in the night. I have sat down on the border at an immigration policy that is designed House of Representatives. Oh, I wish it night multiple times. I have traveled

VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:36 May 23, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K22MY7.055 H22MYPT1 tjames on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE May 22, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4823 the border and done multiple trips into their organizations. They do know ference at the White House at noon on down there to monitor what is going on what they are doing. They have built a a Friday, and with the Presidential on our southern border. It has gotten a cultural edifice around much of the mi- seal in front of the podium, he stood little better in Arizona, and it has got- nority community in America, and there and said: I am going to make an ten worse in Texas. much of it has been because, Mr. accommodation to the religious orga- We don’t have control of this border, Speaker, they have been telling them nizations in America, and now I am but that doesn’t trouble most Demo- lies. They have been telling them lies going to require the insurance compa- crats, because they recognize that the about the political opponents of the nies to provide these things for free. millions of people that are coming into leftists that are engaged in those Well, these things were contracep- this country illegally are counted in neighborhoods; and we have seen this tives, abortifacients, and sterilizations. the census. And so, if you would go to flow, Mr. Speaker, as far as the White Contraceptives, Mr. Speaker, we under- a district in California like MAXINE House. stand what they are. Abortifacients are WATERS’ district, she only needs about The divisions that have been driven pills that bring about the abortion of a 40,000 to 50,000 votes in her district to between Americans, divisions driven little, innocent, unborn baby. Steriliza- get reelected to the United States Con- down the line of race, ethnicity, gen- tions are those things that might come gress. If you go to my district, it is der, sexual orientation, national ori- with tubal ligations or vasectomies. well over 120,000 votes for me to be re- gin, prosperity, those wedges have been Those were the things that were in elected to the United States Congress. driven in a calculated way for the po- ObamaCare that are particularly egre- The difference in that is two things. litical gain of the people that sit over gious to the principles of the Catholic One is I have a very, very high percent- on this side of this Chamber. I have church. age of real American citizens that do seen too much of it to believe that I And so the President decided he vote in my district; she has a lower could be off by 1 degree in the state- would make an accommodation written percentage. And I have a higher turn- ment that I have made, Mr. Speaker. in the rules, by the way—not the bill, out of people who are responsible I am continuing onward, Senator but in the rules. The President said: I enough to vote; she has a lower per- SCHUMER of myself: am going to make an accommodation centage. Steve King, a far right, way out of the to the religious organizations, and now Illegal aliens are counted in the cen- mainstream outlier doesn’t just spew hatred; I am going to require the insurance sus all over America, and when new he calls the shots. companies to provide these things for district lines are drawn, those district Hmm, I don’t think that he could free. He repeated himself. He said: Pro- lines treat people the same as citizens. point to any hatred that I have spoken vide these things for free. For free. The Constitution doesn’t say count the to and identified as spewing. Calling I thought, hmm, how is it that the citizens and then reapportion; it says the shots? No, I hear the wisdom of the President can step up and give a press count the people. Republican Conference. I have to hear conference and change a law or change And so Democrats are happy enough what they say and what they think and a rule that has been published by Kath- to see the country filling up with peo- where they anchor their thoughts. We leen Sebelius’ Health and Human Serv- ple that they get to count when they have coalesced on this, Mr. Speaker: ices? How does the President have the do a district, because they get a Demo- whatever we might do to change immi- authority to simply speak and make crat district that is another vote here gration law, we can’t trust the Presi- those changes? Surely there must be a in the House of Representatives, Mr. dent of the United States to enforce rule that is amended. Surely there Speaker. They want to turn this coun- anything he doesn’t like. It doesn’t must be a bill that has been introduced try into a single-party country. just have to be immigration law; it can that has a lot of responsible cospon- When you think of what happened in be anything. sors, that has a prospect of being California, they are trying to bring The President of the United States passed. Maybe he has got an agreement about the same kind of transition in picks and chooses the laws that he will with our Speaker and majority leader Texas. If they can turn Texas from a enforce. He essentially tells us: I am here and HARRY REID over in the Sen- red State into a blue State, there will not going to enforce this series of laws ate. never be another conservative elected because I don’t like them, and I am not So we went back and scoured the to a national office in this country going to enforce these series of laws be- rule, Mr. Speaker. The rule didn’t again. They know that. That is why cause I don’t like them. It is not just change, not one i dotted differently, they have thousands of their operatives immigration; although, that was some not one t crossed differently. There was working in Texas, trying to turn Texas of the first examples and some of the no change in any written document, over into a blue State. most egregious examples, Mr. Speaker. the written document that required the They know that illegal immigration And we saw them come through as religious organizations to provide con- is an essential key. Back in 2007 or so the Morton memos, and I will circle traceptives, abortifacients, and steri- when they bussed in tens of thousands back to that in a moment. We saw the lizations. of demonstrators, many of them self- President, by executive edict, not al- The President said now the insurance professed illegal aliens in America, ways in executive order, sometimes a companies have to do this for free. Not many of them wearing identical T- third-tier notice on a Web site of the one word changed in print anywhere. shirts that were issued to them appar- United States Treasury, sometimes a The insurance companies stepped up to ently on the bus, then-alive Senator verbal statement that he makes before that verbal directive from the Presi- Teddy Kennedy stepped out to the west a press conference in the Rose Garden dent of the United States. That should lawn of the Capitol and stepped up to at noon on a Friday. The President of be appalling to any American citizen the microphone and, through an inter- the United States will step up and say, that took an eighth grade civics course preter, said to that group of people, for example, when he was speaking to to understand that the President who was interpreting to them in Span- the churches who objected to their reli- doesn’t write the laws. The President ish, he said: gious freedom being taken from them, doesn’t have the authority to change Some say, report to be deported; I say, re- their conscience protection that was to them. Congress has granted to the ex- port to become an American citizen. be assured to them, written into the ecutive branch the authority to write That was the Democrats’ clarion call, ObamaCare law, after they took that rules, an Administrative Procedure Act the call out to illegal aliens in America religious freedom, conscience protec- that directs how those rules that are to migrate toward the Democrat Party, tion away from our people of faith, and proposed by the executive branch are to those that are outside of America to in particular the Catholic churches published for open public hearing. come into America and migrate to- that filed multiple lawsuits, and other There is a process they must go wards the Democrat Party. They oper- religious organizations did the same, through. ate in those neighborhoods doing voter the President was taking 2 weeks of The President is not the king. The registration drives and signups and or- heat and criticism as the faith commu- President doesn’t get to issue edicts ganizations, a lot of it funded by Fed- nities rose up, and he decided to put an verbally from the podium and have the eral dollars that matriculates down end to that. So he held a press con- force and effect of law to change that

VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:40 May 23, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K22MY7.056 H22MYPT1 tjames on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H4824 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 22, 2014 policy without any print being changed Stuck in a rut, in the driver’s seat, from the Republican Party. I am pretty anywhere in a rule or in the Federal the rest of America is winless. No, the sure they are not going to listen to Register or in the Federal Code. That rest of America is winning each day CHUCK SCHUMER on that. He says: is what he did with that particular that we can protect the rule of law, They can show some courage and say that case, Mr. Speaker. I use that as an ex- each day that we have something left the Steve Kings in the world can say what- ample to tell you how far this Presi- that we can use to secure our borders, ever they want, but they have no place in a dent has overreached from his con- each day that we can deploy some type modern Republican Party. stitutional authority. of law enforcement at the local govern- Imagine a leftist activist, deploying So the President has first imposed ment, State government, and the Fed- Alinsky tactics on the floor of the contraceptives, abortifacients, and eral Government too, out on the United States Senate, who would tell sterilizations on our religious organiza- streets of America, that at least slows the Republican Party that they should tions, then lifted the imposition ver- down this influx of illegal immigration expel me, who in a lot of ways has bally by telling the insurance compa- that we have. stood with the entire platform consist- nies: Now you are going to have to do America is not winless when that ently for a long time. I would have to this for free. What did they do? They happens. America would be wiped out go change the platform first. It would complied. They listened to the Presi- from a perspective of the rule of law be easier just to become a Democrat. dent’s press conference and decided, and the future and the destiny for our However, their ranks are not swelling okay, we are going to do what he tells country if we allowed people like as fast as ours are. Commonsense is us. They didn’t go back and check the CHUCK SCHUMER, HARRY REID, and DICK prevailing, and we are seeing Repub- text—well, maybe the text of the press DURBIN to set the policy for immigra- lican majorities in the States, a likely conference, maybe the text of his tion. If they did that, the rule of law, Republican majority expanded here in speech, but there was no rule. There at least with regard to immigration, the House of Representatives, and a was no law. would be destroyed, be gone. We real good shot at a Republican major- The President also suspended wel- couldn’t reconstruct it again in our ity in the United States Senate. What fare-to-work. The temporary assistance lifetime. Not just our lifetime, Mr. does that say about who is calling the to needy families was written that re- Speaker, but the lifetime of this Re- shots in America? It is not CHUCK quired welfare-to-work. It was written public. SCHUMER, it is not HARRY REID, it is so that then Bill Clinton couldn’t cir- I would ask this question, Mr. Speak- not DICK DURBIN. cumvent it. It was written tightly and er: Has anybody read the Senate Gang So he continues. Two weeks later—he with the idea that a President would of Eight immigration bill? I have. I hadn’t had enough—two weeks later he stretch it. What happens? This Presi- have read through that entire bill, and comes to the floor of the Senate again dent simply suspended welfare-to-work I come to this conclusion. They have and goes through a series of some of under TANF. sent to us from the United States Sen- the same things, which I will skip down What else happened? How about ate a bill on immigration. It is expan- through a little bit more quickly: President Bush’s No Child Left Behind sive. It covers all kinds of things. But Far-right extremists, such as Congressman on education? it is this: it is instantaneous amnesty Steve King. for almost everybody that is in Amer- b 1415 Another: ica illegally, instantaneous amnesty. It President Obama has now issued so is prospective amnesty to the extent What has the House actually done on im- migration these past 2 years? many waivers that No Child Left Be- that it does not address how we might hind no longer exists. These were acts address people who get into America This is CHUCK SCHUMER: of the United States Congress nullified after the bill might be enacted. So the Nothing. Look it up. This is what Steve by executive acts of the President of prospects are that it would be the next King wants, he wants the House to do noth- the United States. wave of those who would be, according ing. He is winning and America is losing. We will accept it if the court over to their description, living in the shad- Well, no, the House has done some- across the street will nullify a law that ows. thing. In the appropriations bill last is passed by the Congress and signed by So if we are not going to enforce the year, June 6, 2013, Department of the President, if they rule it unconsti- law in the future or if we are going to Homeland Security Appropriations tutional. Most of the time we accept pass a Senate version of the bill—and bill, I brought an amendment, an that. Sometimes we reject their judg- we are not, but the Senate version of amendment that shut off all funding to ment because we take an oath to the the bill, if it becomes law, doesn’t do implement or enforce the President’s Constitution too, Mr. Speaker. anything to bring about enforcement unconstitutional actions and exert con- But we should be appalled at the con- for those who would violate our immi- stitutional actions that had to do with stitutional violations of the President gration laws in the future, nothing. It DACA, the Deferred Action for Child- of the United States, who has contin- may do something on the border. A $40 hood Arrivals, and for prosecutorial ually overreached on immigration, on billion Corker amendment blows the discretion known as the Morton education, on welfare-to-work, on budget substantially without a guar- Memos. ObamaCare itself: the bill with his antee that it is going to be functional. The President’s action is unconstitu- name and his signature. There are But is instantaneous amnesty for those tional. He has no prosecutorial discre- more than 30 changes that the Presi- that are here. It is prospective amnesty tion to identify classes or groups of dent has brought about on that. Some for those who would come here. And, people and then exempt them from the of them are clearly unconstitutional. Mr. Speaker, it is retroactive amnesty. law. Prosecutorial discretion must be Most of them are difficult to litigate to And that means it goes back to those on an individual basis; it cannot be on a successful conclusion. who have been deported in the past and a group. They violated that. They Who calls the shots here? Well, I says: We really didn’t mean it. Why know it. I read their material and de- make recommendations like anybody don’t you apply to come back to Amer- bated with them and initiated a law- else does. Each Member follows their ica, you all come back now, you hear, suit. We are somewhat sidetracked own conscience. It is nice to get the as- because we really can’t have deported right now on that. It is the nature of signment—Senator SCHUMER, he says: you in the past and let people stay in the thing. They listen to me. Well, yes, and we America under the same conditions My amendment passed this Congress listen to each other. 224 to 201. That is not nothing. That is Here is another quote from Senator that we deported you in the past. That is the Senate version of the bill. It is restoring the rule of law and the Con- SCHUMER. He said that I am winning: ludicrous from a commonsense heart of stitution immigration policy after it Steve King has three wins, the rest of the has been violated by the President of Republican Party and the rest of America is the heartland middle America view- winless. Good for him, terrible for us. King is point, where we respect and love the the United States. We sent that out of in the driver’s seat of immigration reform rule of law. the House of Representatives, Mr. and as long as he sits there, things will con- So Mr. SCHUMER, Senator SCHUMER, Speaker. We set it on HARRY REID’s tinue to be stuck in a rut. went on: He called for my expulsion desk, and there it likely went into his

VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:40 May 23, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K22MY7.057 H22MYPT1 tjames on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE May 22, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4825 drawer and he took no action on it. So uary 3, 2013, the Chair recognizes the know with certainty, because I hear it it is not that the House isn’t doing gentleman from Georgia (Mr. from my folks back home, our con- anything, it is that the Senate did WOODALL) for 30 minutes. stituents believe that there is. In this something really illogical: the Gang of Mr. WOODALL. Mr. Speaker, I appre- time where trust is the commodity Eight’s bill for instantaneous, per- ciate the time this afternoon. that is in the tightest supply in this petual, and retroactive amnesty. I am sorry you are not going to get town, we must do those things to re- And then we have the number three- the benefit of the posters I brought store trust with men and women back ranking Democrat in the Senate trying down here with me because I am talk- home. We must end this favorite of to taunt the Speaker of the House into ing about a topic that is not one we congressional perks. doing something equally as foolish: bring up a lot in this Chamber. It is the Now, this is Bloomberg 2012, Mr. bring amnesty to the floor of the use of the congressional frank. Speaker. I don’t want you to think this House. This place would blow up and I will wager that when you were is something that we have just started the American people would arrive here elected to Congress, the only thing you talking about. You can’t see it from in short order because they love the knew about the frank is that perhaps where you sit. But I also brought The rule of law. Not only natural born you cussed it from time to time when New York Times from March of 1875. Americans, not only naturalized Amer- it showed up in your mailbox. I That is right. March of 1875, The New icans, green card holders that come brought a copy down here because I am York Times is chronicling a vote that here to achieve the American Dream. sure there are going to be staff and was taken right here in the U.S. House That means from any country they folks back in the office who hadn’t seen of Representatives. Well, not right here came from and every country they one before, folks walking around the in this building on this floor. It was came from, those who came here to office building today. taken through those doors and into the love America and respect and appre- But the frank, the congressional next Chamber. But it says this. It says: ciate the American Dream. frank—why they call it the frank I do By a vote of 113 to 65, the House concurred But what is happening is it is being not know—is that signature that you in the Senate amendment of the postal ap- eroded by destruction of the rule of law and I put up in the top right-hand cor- propriations bill to restore the franking for political motivation on the part of ner of our envelopes so that we can privilege. people like Barack Obama, HARRY send mail. Now, the franking privilege, this REID, CHUCK SCHUMER, and DICK DUR- I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, if you signing of your name on a letter, it BIN. have gone to town hall meetings where came from England, and it came in the There is another quote here by CHUCK this hasn’t come up, I would be inter- early days of the Postal Service, where SCHUMER that says: ested to know. Because on that list of maybe you had an important govern- Enough is enough. We will not let our mental responsibility, maybe you need- party be hijacked by extremists whose xeno- congressional perks—and you know the ones I am talking about, ones like you ed to communicate with folks on the phobia causes them to prefer maintaining a other side of the country and there was broken system over achieving a tough, fair, get free health care for life, which of and practical long-term solution. course is not true, ones like if you no local post office close by. You could Xenophobia. I had to look that up serve one term in Congress you get a be living out on the frontier, you could when we came to this Congress. We free pension for life, also not true—but be far away, you just might not have don’t use that in the streets where I among those perks is the free mail had a coin in your pocket. So it al- come from, but I have known its defini- perk, the congressional frank. It drives lowed in the name of government effi- tion for a long time: being afraid of me crazy, Mr. Speaker, it drives my ciency for Members of Congress to sign something that you don’t know. Well, I constituents crazy, and we have the their name at the top of a letter and don’t often get accused of being afraid power to fix it here in this Chamber. I drop that into the postal stream. of anything, so when I am I pay a little want to stop the frank. b 1430 bit of attention to that. Now, folks might say if you want to I promise you there is not a man or I would say this. CHUCK SCHUMER is stop the frank, why not just stop using a woman who serves in Congress today not like me. I am not afraid of him so the frank. Fair enough. It is because who does not know where his local post it is not xenophobia. HARRY REID is not the law requires us to use it. I am office is. There is not a man or woman like me. I am not afraid of HARRY REID, going get to that later, Mr. Speaker, who serves in Congress today who so that is not xenophobia. DICK DURBIN because I will bet you have not seen struggles to get over to the grocery is not like me. I am not afraid of him. that code section before. That is not xenophobia. What xeno- store where there are stamps for sale. Here is an article from Bloomberg, We do not need to be able to sign our phobia are they talking about, Mr. Mr. Speaker, lest you think this is names at the top of an envelope today Speaker, is my question? something that you and I just hear at So if we are going to have some kind to get it done, but in 1875, after Con- town hall meetings. This is something gress had abolished the frank, in the of a challenge of rhetoric bouncing that is out, and you see it in newspaper back and forth between the House and name of abolishing congressional after newspaper after newspaper. A perks, the Senate passed a bill to bring the Senate, let’s do it face to face, let’s headline—this is two summers ago, do it eye to eye. Let’s have that duel, it back into being. The House con- Bloomberg: ‘‘Lawmakers Intent on Dic- not like Aaron Burr and Alexander curred. tating How the U.S. Postal Service Hamilton—I would be the one standing The New York Times says this: Cuts Billions From Its Spending Are on the high ground on that—but let’s So far as our observation goes, there has Among Those Helping Themselves to a do it like real men do it today, not never been any demand for the restoration of dueling pistols at 50 paces, let’s do this Favorite Congressional Perk: Free the franking nuisance, except on the part of Congressmen. with microphones within arm’s reach, Mail.’’ Mr. Speaker. Maybe we could get to I want to be clear: there is no free I want you to think about this. the bottom of this and we could deter- mail, there is no free mail in the Where does this sense that Congress mine who exactly had the xenophobia. United States Congress today. This gets free mail privileges come from, I yield back the balance of my time. frank that I am talking about, Mr. Mr. Speaker? It comes from the fact The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Speaker, every time you sign your that, once upon a time, Congress actu- Chair would remind Members that name to the top of a letter you are pay- ally got free mail privileges. while debate may include policy criti- ing the full freight on that letter. You Again, the Postal Service was in its cisms of the President and Members of are absolutely going to pay for it when infancy, and in order to conduct the the Senate, it is not in order to engage it hits the Postal Service. Sometimes people’s business, the franking privi- in personalities toward those parties. it is on the honor system that you are lege was adopted from what folks had seen at play in England, but in 1875, f reporting it, sometimes the mail house here at the Capitol is counting it. Congress was still trying to grapple STOP THE FRANK There is no free mail. with the distrust that the franking The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under But even a group as reputable as privilege created amongst its constitu- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Bloomberg believes that there is. I encies.

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