H5136 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 1, 2020 rights and advance the best interests of gress, and if someone were to ask me, national media assault on you, and the American people. well, what was your favorite session of they are going to attack you with ev- Madam Speaker, I urge all of my col- Congress, I don’t have to worry about erything. They will throw everything leagues to support the rule and under- the 116th being on that list. at you. He didn’t say but the kitchen lying legislation. b 1300 sink, but I got the message. The text of the material previously And when he first brought that up, referred to by Mrs. LESKO is as follows: But I rise to focus on a specific cir- Madam Speaker, I passed it off, be- cumstance here, and that is a misquote AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 1164 cause I didn’t take it seriously. Noth- of me that was driven into just a na- At the end of the resolution, add the fol- ing like that had ever happened before lowing: tional feeding frenzy. It was validated in the history of this country that I SEC. 3. Immediately upon adoption of this by this Congress, this misquote. knew. resolution, the House shall proceed to the And when I stood on the floor of this And he brought it up a second time, consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. Congress and made a statement to de- and I passed it off again, because I 8265) to amend the Small Business Act and scribe what likely happened in an didn’t take it seriously. But the third the CARES Act to establish a program for interview with The New York Times time, he got my attention. second draw loans and make other modifica- that took place in early January of And the third time he brought it up, tions to the paycheck protection program, 2019, I made the point on what that and for other purposes. All points of order he said: They are going to make an- against consideration of the bill are waived. statement was, and the statement was other run at you. The bill shall be considered as read. All regarding white nationalists, white su- This was the day before Thanks- points of order against provisions in the bill premacists. There always was a pause giving of 2018, by the way. He said: are waived. The previous question shall be between those two odious ideologies They are going to make another run at considered as ordered on the bill and on any and the term ‘‘western civilization.’’ you, and they believe that they were— amendment thereto to final passage without I advised Congress that there would this meaning Democrats, yes, but also intervening motion except: (1) one hour of be a distinct pause to demonstrate a Republicans, establishment, the swamp debate equally divided and controlled by the new thought started rather than jam- creatures, the elitists, those folks, and chair and ranking minority member of the ming those three ideologies together. Committee on Small Business; and (2) one also the media. They are going to make motion to recommit. Who would compare white nation- another run, because they believe that SEC. 4. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not alism and white supremacy, those odi- the midterm elections of 2018 were a bit apply to the consideration of H.R. 8265. ous ideologies, who would compare distracting, they had other races to be Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I them to western civilization, the very concerned about, and so, therefore, yield back the balance of my time, and foundation of American civilization, they couldn’t bring all their guns to I move the previous question on the the foundation of the First World, and bear on this Member of Congress from resolution. here, America, the flagship of western the Fourth District of Iowa. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The civilization today? There is no com- So he did have my attention by then. question is on ordering the previous parison and should never be equated And as much as it didn’t seem plau- question. between the two. sible, his advice to me was this: They The question was taken; and the Yet, I didn’t tie that thought to- have a messenger that they will send Speaker pro tempore announced that gether, but the stenographers did. to the President, a messenger whom the ayes appeared to have it. And I am not here to be a critic, be- the President trusts and who has his Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, on cause they have done terrific work for ear, who is going to be directed to con- that I demand the yeas and nays. me over the years, and their skill set, vince the President to send out a nega- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- and their professionalism are second to tive tweet on Congressman KING, and ant to section 3 of House Resolution none. They are the best in the world, as that negative tweet will be the trigger 965, the yeas and nays are ordered. far as I am concerned, but if they can that launches another media assault, Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, fur- make a mistake, so can The New York all the broadsides that they can get on ther proceedings on this question are Times, which is my point. this Member of Congress. And he used postponed. So in this narrative, Madam Speaker, these words: And they believe they can f I will take you back a little way. And force you to resign. I want the Congress to know what all Now, that is a hard concept to get QUESTION OF PERSONAL has transpired here that brought us to into your head when nothing like that PRIVILEGE the point of the feeding frenzy and the had ever happened before and there was Mr. KING of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I political lynch mob that was here that no substance for that to be based upon, rise to raise a question of personal day on about January 12 or so, or Janu- but he did convince me. privilege. ary 13, and it was this: that during my So I set about preempting this, at his The SPEAKER pro tempore. The election in the year 2018, November of advice, and I did, to the extent I could, Chair has been made aware of a valid 2018, there was a national media focus preempted it at the White House. And basis for the gentleman’s point of per- on attacking me. That happens in I think history proves that that has sonal privilege. other races, but I don’t know that it been successful. President Trump has The gentleman from Iowa is recog- ever happened as intensively as it did not taken a shot at me, even though nized for 1 hour. in my race. there were many others who couldn’t Mr. KING of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I In any case, we came through that resist the press’s temptation to take a appreciate being recognized here on the with a 3.4 percent victory, and I cheap shot, but the President did not. floor of the United States House of thought that was the end of it. I ex- So I take it that the effort to preempt Representatives, and throughout the pected that I would come back. You it at the White House was at least par- years I have had the privilege to serve know, even your political opposition tially successful. Iowans and Americans here. This is a needs a rest from time to time, and so Yet, I couldn’t get a meeting with great deliberative body, although after the election is when they take a the messenger until January 8, 2019. So sometimes we miss the facts. deep breath, retool, and get ready for on January 8, I had that meeting with And I know that there is a phrase the legislative session. the person that was at least named as that I heard back in a political era, But I sat down with a political opera- the potential messenger, and in that which is, whenever you lose a vote, you tive, who was one of the top political conversation, I was assured: I would can sometimes use this analysis: campaign managers at the presidential never do that to you, STEVE. Be as- Nor is the people’s judgment always level in the Nation, and a successful sured that that won’t happen. true: the most can err as grossly as the one at that. He came in to give me a Well, I was fairly confident that few. little bit of his advice, and as I am lis- those words were honest, and actually And that has happened a number of tening to that, he said: They are going felt pretty happy about it when I times in my 18 years that I have served to try again. They are going to try walked out of that meeting. But I also in this Congress. This is the 116th Con- again to drive you out of office with a suspected that the people that were

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:51 Oct 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01OC7.044 H01OCPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE October 1, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5137 around that individual might find out And as they made their case, I real- And Trip Gabriel says: Don’t worry about the meeting that I had just fin- ized they kind of stumped me a little about whether I am accurate or not, ished and might know that I under- bit. We have freedom of speech in the because I can type as fast as anybody stood the gambit that was going to be Constitution. But they said they don’t can talk. run against me. That was January 8. lock people up for hate speech, they Well, I have asked our wonderful ste- January 9, amazingly, I have a pri- just prosecute them, convict them, nographers down here how fast they mary opponent that announced on turn them loose, and they generally can type, and what I learned was at Twitter at 11:23 a.m.—He might have learn their lesson. But here, we have about 130 words on a conventional key- announced earlier than that, except he watched since that time, since that board is just about the limit to be cer- was busy deleting all of his tweets for time back in—this conversation took tified, but maybe 150 or 160 on the the previous 10 years, and then once place in August 2018, freedom of speech magic keyboard that is going right the tweets were deleted—He announced has been diminished in this country in- down there right now. on Twitter that he was going to chal- crementally. And it is a tragedy that And I say: Can you keep up with me lenge me in a primary. He didn’t have we are going down that path. when I am talking at a fast pace? a website, didn’t have a roll-out plan, But here in this Congress, here is And they say: No. I have to listen to didn’t have a media plan, didn’t have what happened: from the meeting that the tape. an interview set up. He just sent out a took place on January 8, the announce- But I respect the professionalism we tweet. ment of one primary opponent on Jan- have here. Anybody can make a mis- So that seems to me that he hadn’t uary 9, The New York Times story on take. been planning that very long. I think January 10, and after that, there was And then I asked about the precision he got a phone call the night before nothing I could have said or done that of punctuation when you are doing a that morning that said: You are going was going to change the inertia that transcript on the keyboards even that to have to announce now. That was was created. we have here, let alone the conven- January 9. They actually carried out what they tional one that Trip Gabriel was using. January 10, The New York Times had given me the heads-up they were And they say: Well, we will get the story came out. And The New York going to do. They actually brought all words right if you talk at a pace that Times story that has been the subject media broadsides against me. And it we can keep up, but we can’t guarantee of this turmoil here on the floor of the didn’t matter what was fact and what the punctuation. House that had the whole Nation fix- was fiction. It mattered that they had So there is a great big difference in ated on a few words, it actually turned mobilized all those forces because they whether— there is a great big dif- out to be about 13 words. thought that they could force me to re- ference in whether the meaning of a It is still pretty stunning to think sign. phrase has got a hyphen in it or wheth- how you can mobilize the United And for what purpose? I can give you er it has a comma in it. States Congress over whether or not a lot of reasons, Madam Speaker, but I Trip Gabriel put in a comma, and he there is a hyphen or a period where it think what is better to do at this point insists he is right. And I would ask, ought to be. how could he know? How could he But here is what we have, Madam is to examine The New York Times. The New York Times interview took know whether he is right or not, be- Speaker. We have to protect the Con- cause his memory is not any better stitution of the United States, and the place on January 5 of 2019 on a phone than KEVIN MCCARTHY, not as good as First Amendment of the Constitution call that I received from the reporter KEVIN MCCARTHY says it is. is freedom of speech, religion, press, Trip Gabriel right about 8:30 in the So I want to go through this. So what and peaceable assembly. morning. happened shortly after that, this thing And freedom of speech, whatever our I had advised him that he should go speech is—I know that I was sitting in through my communications director, all hit, and on Monday early in the a meeting with some folks in Europe but I also had told him that I thought month of January, I had a meeting about 2 or 3 years ago, and they are I would be open at about 8:30 until 10:30 with our leader here, and it lasted prosecuting people for what they call that day. about an hour. And it wasn’t a happy hate speech and for asking a rhetorical So he called me directly. And I had meeting for either one of us, but he was question. I have a couple of friends just gotten out of the shower to get determined, he was determined that I over there that I happen to know that ready to come down here and go to am wrong, The New York Times is have been persecuted, prosecuted, and work. I didn’t get a chance to check right. convicted for hate speech that was ac- the email from my communications di- And I don’t know how our leader can tually just a rhetorical question. rector first. That came in at 7:48 a.m., defend President Trump against The I was making the case to them, I and it said: Don’t do the interview. It New York Times and attack me for the said: You need American-style con- is a trap. I have been trying to shut opposite. stitutional protection for freedom of this reporter down. I know he is com- If you just Google, lying New York speech. You don’t have freedom of ing at you with a trap. Don’t do the Times, you get hundreds of hits on a speech here in Europe, and you are interview. Google of lying New York Times. Their going to be a lot more robust society, I didn’t see that until much, much credibility has been essentially de- you can address your problems and later. Had I seen that, there wouldn’t stroyed. have open discussion, but you shut have been an interview. And this little piece, I would say down any dialogue by hate speech pros- But it was 56 minutes long. And there this: 18 years in this Congress, 45 years ecutions. is no tape. And as far as I can deter- in the construction business, 6 years in And they said: We have more freedom mine, there aren’t even any notes that the Iowa Senate, our family goes back of speech than you have in America. are available to the public. three generations on the dirt that we Now, that will bring a person up And we have asked him: What was are on right now where we live, and short, Madam Speaker. And so I asked: the question that you asked? What was throughout all that time, The New Why? the leading question? What was the York Times and others have sent re- And his answer was: In America you context of the answer that I gave? porters into my neighborhood to try to can start a corporation, you can be a And KEVIN MCCARTHY is critical of find somebody that has got something CEO, you can write a check to an me, because he says that he can re- derogatory to say about me or some in- unfavored not-for-profit group—or a member every word that he has used in sult to my character, and they have profit group, excuse me—and once the the last 6 months in an interview, and failed every time; The New York public finds out about that, then they that includes also the punctuation, be- Times, The Washington Post, Huff- put that out all over the internet and cause that is the topic we were talking ington Post, you can name all of them. they just—they named the people that about. It used to be The Weekly Standard, and had lost their companies because of a I don’t think that is even humanly they rightfully are defunct now be- tweet or because of a donation to an possible. I don’t think anybody can do cause of their overreach and their po- unpreferred entity. that. litical bias that they rolled out. But in

VerDate Sep 11 2014 11:39 Oct 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01OC7.047 H01OCPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE H5138 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 1, 2020 all that time, they have never found a principle that they knew I am not the And he went on to say: He is not a single person. person that that resolution implied white supremacist. He is not a white And no one has gone on record in this that I am. nationalist. It is all stupid talk. Congress in 18 years, serving on the Ju- But, instead, rather than divide our So you have just surrendered the diciary Committee for 16 of those conference, rather than divide this phrase, Western civilization. I don’t get years, the most polarized committee on Congress, rather than ask them to vote that, said Mark Steyn. I don’t see what the Hill and the most racially diverse against a resolution that happened to is in it for conservatism in surren- committee on the Hill, and not one of be technically true, I asked them all, dering that phrase and accepting the those folks, and many of them trade in instead, vote for this resolution be- left’s view that the term, Western civ- the race issue, has ever made a state- cause it is technically true, and that is ilization, is beyond the pale. ment that I had been disrespectful or not the argument. He also said that conservatives, Re- disparaging in any way whatsoever. Now, only one person voted against publicans, have trouble finding a hill it; that was the gentleman from Illi- that they believe is worth dying on. b 1315 nois, Chicago. BOBBY RUSH, former But when you sacrifice this issue and And so there is no substance. I have Black Panther, voted against the reso- that issue and another issue, and you no accusers, no individual accusers lution because he thought I should get to Western civilization and you that have stood up. But this whole have been sanctioned or censured even sacrifice the hill of the very foundation mass of people in this place were accus- more. of the First World, our country, and ers on that day in early January of Well, aren’t we supposed to look at the founding of our country, the found- 2019. evidence in this place? Do facts mat- ing documents, the ideology that I So I am here to assert that—I am ter? Does reason matter? Or are we just would trace you all the way back to asking this Congress and this CONGRES- caught up in the political inertia of Moses and bring through the Greeks SIONAL RECORD to correct the RECORD what goes on, and we try to fit our- and the Romans in Western Europe and and to place a hyphen in the terms selves into the stream so that we don’t the rule of law and free enterprise cap- from that day where I said I was going stand out very much? italism and the industrial revolution So I have given you some of that, but to pause—I did pause; I have watched and God-given liberty and natural law none of the context of my quote was in- the videotape of it since then several and the deep reading and under- times—that the language be: white na- cluded in The New York Times story. We called up Trip Gabriel and said: standing that was done by our Found- tionalist, white supremacist, hyphen. ers who shaped this country, who found That is a pause, and it is a new What question did you ask me? He—first, I asked him: Do you have a America to be and shaped America to thought, and the new thought then be- be a giant petri dish for God-given lib- came: Western civilization, now how tape? He would not even answer the question of whether he had a tape. erty. did that language become offensive? Then we asked him: What question Think of what it was like. Here is Why did I sit in classes teaching me did you ask Congressman KING that this land, this huge Western Hemi- about the merits of our history and our brought forth this answer that is only sphere that hadn’t seen any aspect of civilization just to watch Western civ- about just a handful of words, 13 words what we consider to be modern life. ilization become a derogatory term in altogether, and what is the context of And on this land, here came, at the political discourse today? that? What was the question? What was dawn of the industrial revolution, the The very statement itself refutes The the answer? Did you feed those words idea—it will be Adam Smith, he wrote New York Times’ characterization. It to him, and did he repeat them back to ‘‘Wealth of Nations’’, published 1776, refutes the characterization that was you? the same year the Declaration was pub- delivered at me by KEVIN MCCARTHY And he wouldn’t answer that ques- lished. And this petri dish, this giant and others. It refutes the characteriza- tion either. It took two phone calls to petri dish of freedom and liberty and tion that was the presumption of this squeeze some out. rule of law and unlimited natural re- Congress. But the presumption of this But what we learned was he didn’t sources—so we thought at the time— Congress didn’t look at the evidence. expect that that would be the quote and the concept of manifest destiny They didn’t look at the facts. They just that would do it. That is almost an and the wars that were fought to se- got swept up in the herd mentality and exact quote out of him. He didn’t think cure those things, all of that, all of went ahead and did what they did. that that would be the quote. He that that is so rich in America’s his- And by the way, the resolution that thought it would be something else in tory and makes us the greatest Nation was brought, I believe, by Mr. CLYBURN the article. the world has seen, but we can’t defend that day, the resolution was actually So that indicates to me he knew it Western civilization? honest because it said: whereas Con- was a hit job when he did the inter- And I will say, 2 years ago, when this gressman KING has been quoted as say- view, and that is also what Mark Steyn came down, people didn’t understand ing. says. He says that is not a good faith what is happening. But today, Western And that was the qualifier, and then interview request, and this is said just civilization is under assault, and I have they put the quote in out of The New the day after this incident. been 100 percent correct on this. I have York Times. Well, I was quoted as say- And Mark Steyn went on to say—he been more correct on this than I ing that. That was an honest state- said: He made a mistake, STEVE KING. thought I was going to be, Mr. Speaker. ment. It was a misquote. They didn’t He agreed to give an interview on na- But I would just want to add that no- bother saying that. But I was mis- tional immigration policy to The New body in America ever sat in the class quoted in The New York Times, but the York Times. That is not a good faith to learn about the merits of white na- way it was printed in the resolution interview request. They are only ask- tionalism or white supremacism, and was accurate. And all the other ing you, and he should know this, they the content of that quote makes it whereases that rejected the odious are only asking you to stitch you up, clear. All the contemporaneous evi- ideologies were all accurate. to talk to you for 3 hours and get you dence supports what I have been say- My own rejection of it in the pre- to use one phrase in there that they ing. vious week was stronger than the reso- can lift out and kill you with. In fact, all of the things that I have lution itself. I wish they had used my Well, I think Mark Steyn had that said since then, no one has found a hole language. Mine was stronger, and mine figured out, and I think he is really ac- in any of them. No one has said this is was better, but I agreed with all the curate. He went on to say: This guy, marginally untrue or untrue. No one words that were in that. And I asked STEVE KING, was trapped. Trapped. The has ever looked at the language that I this body, vote ‘‘yes’’ on this resolu- words he said about when did that be- have used and said that it isn’t accu- tion. come controversial, he meant the rate. I had, I will say, dozens of friends phrase, Western civilization. In fact, what I have done is I intro- here that were prepared to come to this How come Mark Steyn knows this duced a fact-check document, and that floor and vote against that resolution the day after and this Congress can’t fact-check document was first pub- in order to guard my back, just on the understand this 2 years after? lished March 6, 2019. KEVIN MCCARTHY

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:51 Oct 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01OC7.049 H01OCPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE October 1, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5139 gave me 24 hours to prove a negative— see all the way up till 2015, it is vir- b 1330 24 hours. Well, he didn’t actually. I tually unused. It wasn’t in our Amer- So I will take you to this, Mr. Speak- asked for 24 hours. He gave me 1 hour. ican vernacular. No one could be ex- er. We went to Congressional Research Now, philosophers have—and every- pected to have the precise and perfect Services, CRS, and asked them: Who where from philosophers to barflies definition for that in their head from has been removed from all of their have argued for centuries that it is im- a—I will say—a quick response type of committees presumably for discipli- possible to prove a negative. Well, no, a question if we are not using it in our nary reasons? And what do you know it is logically possible to prove a nega- language. about as far as you can go back in the tive, and I did that. And I did it in a It wasn’t in our political discourse. It search engine or into modern history? fact-check document filed in this Con- may be in academia. That is probably We found out that James Traficant gress and published on my website Feb- where—one to 200 times a year is about was removed from all of his commit- ruary 3—excuse me—March 6 of 2019. what that is down on the bottom. tees. He was subsequently convicted of And then you see that 2015, it picked And then some other facts came to a Federal felony and went to prison— up just a little bit. But 2016, it went bear, and I published a follow-up of several Federal felonies, as a matter of from virtually unused to 10,000 times a that. fact. I deleted nothing from this. I just year. And then, in 2017, it went to 30,000 Then we have had, I can think of two, added some more facts. And that was times a year. 2018, it is still up there at three cases since that time, fairly con- 20,000 times a year. published February 3 of this year, 2020. temporary. I don’t want to say their This term, white nationalism, was So some of the things that I want names because I remain a person who— weaponized, and it was used against people to think about is, I had done— well, I regret what they were convicted we had done the LexisNexis search and conservatives. They knew they had worn out the term racism, so they had of, but, nonetheless, it is this. asked it: Had STEVE KING ever said There have been five Members of to come up with some new terms, and white nationalist anywhere in history? Congress who were removed from their that was one of them. We went back to the year 2000. That is committees for disciplinary reasons in about as far as we can trust the Here is another example. This is the year. This is the year 2016. It was, I all of modern history according to records, I think. And at no time, I had CRS. One of them is fairly recent down never, ever been quoted as ever even could say, almost virtually unused up until November of 2016. And what hap- in Kansas. The other two, in addition uttering the words that identify that pened in November of 2016? Oh, Donald to James Traficant, were subsequently odious ideology. convicted of Federal felonies. So the And so when I was asked: What is a Trump was elected President wasn’t he, on about November 8. charges on the Kansas issue are Fed- white nationalist by DAVE PRICE on a And the following Sunday, about the eral felonies. television station in Des Moines, Iowa, 12th or 13th of November, the top peo- So here I stand, the sole person in 233 it caught me off guard because I hadn’t ple in the Democratic Party met at the years of the American Republic who been ever asked to define it before. I Mandarin Hotel here in Washington, has been denied a full-throated rep- had never said the term before. In fact, D.C. The articles that I read about it resentation of his 750,000 constituents I didn’t use that term when I answered are articles that were written around by an arbitrary decision of the leader the question. their star person there, George Soros, of the Republican Party, who had no But I did say it is a derogatory term. who was in that hotel and presumably evidence except his faith that the dis- It might have meant something dif- led some of the discussions that were honest reporter of The New York ferent 1, 2, or 3 years ago, but today it there and contributed, likely, to the Times was more honest than a very means racist. That was my definition cause. honest Member of Congress standing off the cuff from a question that I And so from the moment that they before him. didn’t anticipate. Maybe it could have went into that hotel, that Sunday, it No one in this Congress has ever as- been a little more artful, but it is true, doesn’t really show very much utiliza- serted that I misinformed them will- and it is true because the term has tion of it. But on the following day, fully. Maybe I made a couple of mis- been weaponized and essentially un- Monday, it shoots off the charts. There takes on data, and if I caught them, I used. is no question that this synchronizes went back and fixed it as quickly as I And so, we looked through the record almost exactly with the meeting in the could. But that assertion has never of LexisNexis and said: Where is the Mandarin Hotel, which, I believe, stra- been made. There has never been made first documented instance of where I tegically decided: We are going to of any personal disparagement, as I ever used the phrase white nationalist? launch white nationalism and white su- said earlier. All of that holds together. And that turns out to be in an inter- premacy as weaponized terms, and we No one in this body has ever heard view that was done right before Christ- are going to use them against Repub- me utter even a swearword under my mas of 2018 with the Christian Science licans. breath. Yet this is what happens to the Monitor. And there, I was making the So this is actually, Mr. Speaker, the freedom of speech and representation. case that some of this language has picture of November itself and broken I would add this. I had more votes for been weaponized. And did I use the down day by day. And so you can see, me in the previous election in Novem- terms—I said, I used the terms—if I can the 11th, the 12th, here is the 13th. ber of 2018 than either the current lead- find it here, I added a couple of other That was Monday. They called into the er of the Republican Party or the Con- terms that were part of that, such as, hotel. Thirteen is Sunday, excuse me. ference chair, yet they have got a sanc- well, racist is weaponized; Nazi is And so they were checking in. timonious attitude about what is right weaponized; fascist is weaponized; But on Monday, here we go. Tuesday, and what is wrong. white nationalism is weaponized; and that is how they triggered the So I would assert, Mr. Speaker, that white supremacy is weaponized. Now weaponization of language, and that is the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD did err. It they are trying to weaponize Western what I was describing in that inter- is easy to determine that because there civilization. When that happens, our view, although I thought I was right is a C–SPAN tape. We have a tape of civilization will be on its way out the because my guts were speaking to me. one thing, and that was there is a dis- door. My instincts were speaking to me. I tinct difference between the two odious But I was clearly making a state- didn’t have the data, but it is pretty ideologies and Western civilization. I ment, defending Western civilization clear that I was more right than I made the point. I did the pause. It is and rejecting the odious ideologies. imagined that I would be. natural for me to talk and think that So we looked it up, and I asked the That is the circumstances that we way. It is not natural for me to advo- question—just a minute. This, Mr. are dealing with here, and the hyper- cate for something that I disagree Speaker, is a chart of LexisNexis that activity of a planned ambush of a Mem- with. charts the frequency of the utilization ber of Congress in an effort to try to Further, this fact-checked document of the term, white nationalist or white drive him out of office and force him to makes it real clear that of all of the nationalism, a derivative of that. So it resign, based upon false stories and time that it has been out here, a year goes back to the year 2000, and you can false allegations without substance. and a half or better, not a soul has

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:51 Oct 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01OC7.051 H01OCPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE H5140 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 1, 2020 found anything false in it, anything Mr. Speaker, another piece of this of that exists in this Congress. It may mischaracterized, anything biased, or was Brit Hume, a legendary journalist exist over on the other side of the aisle, any hole in the logic that says that and reporter. Brit Hume is publicly no but it doesn’t exist on this side of the could not have happened with The New fan of STEVE KING. He read through an aisle. York Times. It is a false and erroneous article that was written by Trip Ga- So I have my obligations here, and misquote is the nicest way that I can briel just about on January 15 of 2019, one of the obligations is to deliver the put that. and Trip Gabriel brought up a whole truth. I am confident everything I have Mr. Speaker, I have gone through a series of quotes that proves that I am a said here today is objectively true. I number of these things that are the racist. Brit Hume read down through have dug through this for a good, long factual components of it, but here is that and said that it is completely period of time. another piece: How often was white na- bogus. Most of the articles and most of After the primary election, I sat tionalist used in this Congress? I said the quotes don’t have anything to do down on my deck out on the east side it was virtually unused for all those with race whatsoever, and none of the before the Sun came up in the morning years on up until 2018. We went back comments were racist. That is Brit and took my keyboard and began to through the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Hume. type. After a few weeks, I had 60,000- and did a search, too. I will just read Between Brit Hume, Mark Steyn, and some words, and that is a book. That you the text of this fact-checked docu- multiple others who are objective, I will be in print real soon. The title of ment, Mr. Speaker, to give you some of think we get the idea of what happened that is ‘‘Walking Through the Fire.’’ the flavor of it. here. I was able to call Andrew Breitbart, a It says: Another indicator of the re- Going home to spend time with my close, personal friend. When he trag- cent weaponization of the phrase grandchildren is not what I regret, Mr. ically passed away at age 43 several ‘‘white nationalism’’ can be found in a Speaker, but what I regret is the prece- years ago, I was given the honor to study of the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. dent that is established here that there give the eulogy for him at the national According to the CRS, no Member of is no place to appeal. memorial here in Washington, D.C., for Congress has ever said, in their origi- I recall when I was first elected to Andrew Breitbart, whose imprint is on nal words, the term ‘‘white nation- the Iowa Senate, I had what turned out our society to this day. alist’’ on the House floor prior to Presi- to be a future constituent who found Andrew would say to us: Walk to- dent Donald Trump being elected. himself in an administrative law judge wards the fire. Walk towards the fire. That is out of a CRS report. position where the administrative law Their bullets aren’t real. They just So how could it be that, oh, that is judges had ruled against him. It was a want to scare you. They want to shut attributed to me, and there is a domestic issue. I knew that he was you up. They don’t like your ideology, thought process that is attributed to honest; I knew that he was the target; so they will attack you personally, and me? and I knew he was the victim of stack they will call you a whole series of But it says that KEVIN MCCARTHY’s of lies. So I set about trying to get him names. decision to remove KING from all three of his committees for a misquote of an appeal so that his case could be He was more eloquent about that The New York Times is unprecedented heard. than I. As I checked the fences, so to speak, with no analogous case to mine. Apart I started out the book that way, as we say in Iowa, or perhaps Texas as from party switches/level of party sup- ‘‘Walk towards the fire,’’ but the title well, as we checked the fences, it al- of my book is ‘‘Walking Through the port, KING is only the fourth Member of Congress’ history—that is this report ways will go under the next one, the Fire’’ because, once that fire was lit in prior to the Kansas incident I men- next one, the next one. But once you front of me, I could have either turned tioned—according to the CRS to be went around, it was a corral, and there and run or walked through it. I said: If stripped of all committee assignments, was no way for him. He is back appeal- you are going to do this to me, you are and he is the only one who was re- ing to the very person who ruled going to have to shoot me down in the moved from committees for a reason against him in the first place. middle of Main Street at high noon that has no basis—no basis in history, So, Mr. Speaker, what you are really with everybody watching. in House or Conference rules or Federal down to is you can go through some That is pretty much what happened. law. Or, I will say, no basis in truth ei- motions, but you have to ask the de- They mounted that kind of effort and ther. cider to change their mind. That is the did everything they could to destroy So one has to come to a conclusion only appeal. When you have got the my reputation. here as to what actually happened. pressure of a nation, the media pres- But the facts stand the same. I have Mr. Speaker, you can believe the sure and the political politics that go no accusers. All of the logic of this version of events that are relied upon on here, then they are not going to fact-checked document supports what I by KEVIN MCCARTHY to strip KING of change their mind. There is too much have told you here today, Mr. Speaker, committee assignments, but if that is narcissism involved for that. all of it. There is not a hole in it. No so, one must believe that an unreason- By the way, there is a significant one has found a hole in it, even when it able but sensational interpretation for amount of mendacity, while we are would behoove them to find a hole in it which no evidence exists is more likely talking about personal characteristics, or several holes in it. to be accurate than a reasonable, non- because KEVIN MCCARTHY promised me I think that my reputation here controversial interpretation which is that he would go to the Steering Com- among the people who know me is internally supported by context clues mittee and ask them to restore me to solid. But, also, I will have a shorter and externally supported by data and all of my committees. That happened list of friends maintenance after this other contemporaneous published ac- April 19 of this year. I have the tran- last experience over these 2 years. counts. script of that phone call. Yet, when I don’t regret going home. I don’t re- One must also believe that The New McCarthy was asked about that in a gret spending more time with my York Times, which is a hostile, liberal press conference, he denied it and made grandchildren. paper, which has had other articles me out to be the liar. That is another I got a phone call from one of our about me, STEVE KING, written by the piece that has got to be changed in the county chairs here a month and a half same author thoroughly debunked as history of all of this. or so ago. He said: I am calling to tell completely bogus, set aside its animus What I regret is, if there is a due you that God is showing you how much in this particular case and wrote an ob- process, then there needs to be a place He loves you because He is guaran- jective article for the first time on me. where there can be an appeal. There teeing you more time. He is sending This document that I am speaking needs to be a place to roll the facts out you home to spend more time with from contains hyperlinks to source ma- and there needs to be a way that you your grandchildren. terial. Parties interested in reviewing can put people who sit in judgment, That is as good a way to put that as this can go to my website who actually have to evaluate the facts you can. steveking.house.gov and pull one of and be subjected to criticism for their I have made good friends here in this these documents down. decision that they would make. None place, but the list of them is shorter

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:51 Oct 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01OC7.053 H01OCPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE October 1, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5141 than I thought it was. So I think it is I have had, along with just a handful lishment people in this country don’t very important that people coming of other people, an extraordinary op- want conservatives to have a loud into this Congress, the freshmen whom portunity to get to know these Presi- voice on who the nominees are going to I have never gotten a chance to know dential candidates one on one, 17 of be. But I say, the heart of the heart- over a 2-year period of time because, if them the last time. I brought 12 of land is where the families are. It is they are seen talking to STEVE KING, them into a Freedom Summit down in where the small businesses are. Where the leader might not give them the Des Moines to launch the national we are the farthest away from the big committee assignment that they want, Presidential race. I put 1,250 people in businesses, we are insulated from that. I didn’t get to know them. That is too the seats and standing room only. They So our ideology—Democrat and Repub- bad. I am sure there are good people were rock-ribbed, principled, full-spec- lican—is closer to the real people than there. But that list is shorter than I trum, constitutional Christian conserv- you might find if you go someplace thought it would be. atives. where there is an expensive media mar- We need more and deeper character b 1345 ket. in this Congress, and we need to tie In launching Democrat and Repub- back to facts and policy. What I have And when they heard something they lican candidates, we must have that seen happen here in the time that I liked, they stood, stomped their feet, hands-on where they have to meet peo- have been in this Congress is, when and applauded and cheered. ple and get to know the American peo- young Members come in, they come in When they heard something they ple. We want real candidates out there pretty strong ideologically, for the didn’t like, they might look at their on that stage. And the folks that had most part. They want to make a dif- watch, boo, hiss, or walk away. the money—for example, Jeb Bush They were sorting these candidates ference, and they want to pass legisla- spent $139 million, and he got some- and batching up with what they be- tion. They are policy people, and they thing like three or five delegates. He is lieved in. The conservatives did well are ideological people. not very happy with how that oppor- that day, but the moderates didn’t do And I meet them and I like them and tunity didn’t exist for him in a way so well. And a couple of moderates I like the spark that is in their eyes, that it might have for a TED CRUZ or a didn’t show up. So when I see that, but pretty quickly, sometimes there Ben Carson or a Donald Trump or a when the moderates don’t show up and are even one or two or three, even on Scott Walker. So they decided that the conservatives do show up, and— the first day, who decide: Mine is going they don’t want to have that voice in let’s see, Walker got a big bounce out to be a political equation. Over time, northwest Iowa. And that is a big piece of that that day, Donald Trump got a they give up on the policy. They give of this as well. big bounce, TED CRUZ got a big bounce, up on the ideology. They find out that Mr. Speaker, the forces behind this, Ben Carson got a big bounce that day. their job is to either work for this the forces of the swamp that have mo- They all spoke at the Freedom Sum- team or work for this team over here. bilized themselves like never before mit. And that helped launch them into They slowly become a political barom- and pulled off something that had a very competitive Presidential cam- eter. And when an issue comes up in never been accomplished before and paign. front of them and they have to make a done with—I will say a strategy and decision, the question will be: How does I did everything I could to provide access to the candidates so that they millions of dollars, and a network of this help me? If it doesn’t help them, media that was coordinated across this then that question is: How do I avoid could be in Iowa and meeting these caucus-goers and shaking hands and country is all part of this. It is all part dealing with this issue? of my book. I can’t begin to express it I came here to correct the wrongs doing the things necessary to have a chance at the nomination. That func- all here in the time that I have, but I that I had seen in life and to fix the in- do appreciate the time that I have been justices. I didn’t anticipate I would see tions really well. But what we did, we built the platform around that. And allowed here on the floor of the House them so starkly in front of me, but I of Representatives. have. So I wanted to come to the floor the platform for the Presidential can- Mr. Speaker, I want you to know here today, Mr. Speaker, and let you didates was actually built in Iowa. And that I appreciate serving with you, a know some of these things that I am then we put three or four of those can- man of a happy attitude that expresses thinking about. Hopefully, this body didates on that platform, once they it across the aisles in a bipartisan way. will learn from the experiences that we come out of the Iowa Caucus, and we have all been part of here. The fresh- send them off to New Hampshire. New Mr. Speaker, I urge this Congress to men need to be thinking about this and Hampshire does pretty good, but some- take a look at the C–SPAN tape, cor- have an independent voice. times they will pull a nail or two out. rect the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, put Mr. Speaker, I have said that one of And then they will take that platform the hyphen in where it belongs, and the ways that you can have an inde- and send those candidates down to recognize that I have been right on this pendent voice here in this Congress— South Carolina and, thankfully, they all along. No one has found a hole in and perhaps the only way you can have put a lot of those nails back in. anything that I have said. You can an independent voice—is you have to So by the time you are done with look through every word put out the have constituents who will support South Carolina, the platform for the last 2 years. Everything I have said you; you have to have a fundraising nominees is settled. And that is the stands up. It doesn’t stand up with the network that is independent from the platform that makes it to the national New York Times. It doesn’t stand up people who can take it away from you; convention. That is the platform that with KEVIN MCCARTHY. It stands up and you have to have a national media arrives in the Oval Office. That is the when I say it. voice so that the truth restrains the platform that exists there today. I make that point as I step aside here people who want to undercut you. When I walk into the Oval Office, and because it is a challenge. Show me There is a major component that I I look around, I think, My gosh, we where I am wrong. Show me where I left out of my presentation here, Mr. really did accomplish this. We accom- have been—I should say—where I Speaker, and that is I am a Member of plished the agenda on immigration, for haven’t been factual. No one has been Congress from Iowa. I am the dean of example, and we accomplished the able to do that. They won’t be able to the Iowa congressional delegation. agenda to repeal ObamaCare. We didn’t do that. The fact-checked document I have been engaged in the first-in- get it all done, but it is on there. stands on its own. It is completely log- the-Nation Iowa caucus for a long I have in my pocket a picture of all ical, and it proves a negative, even time, and I am the only Member that I the promises that Donald Trump made, though philosophers have long said know of at this elected level who has there are a lot of checkmarks behind that is not possible to do. ever made an endorsement of a Presi- the ones that have been accomplished. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate being rec- dential candidate and taken all the Those promises, many of them were ognized here to address you on the heat from the other candidates that made in Iowa at the launch of this. floor of the House of Representatives, comes from that, but I think it is im- And that is one of the things that has and I yield back the balance of my portant to do that. brought out the opposition, the estab- time.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 11:39 Oct 02, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K01OC7.054 H01OCPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE H5142 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 1, 2020 MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT (2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘, with the home on the Navajo Reservation, who approval of a judge of the district court,’’; has a pretrial hearing at the Federal Messages in writing from the Presi- and dent of the United States was commu- courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona, may (3) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol- not be able to afford gas for the 6-hour nicated to the House by Miss Kaitlyn lowing: Roberts, one of his secretaries. ‘‘(j) A magistrate judge who exercises trial ride back home. jurisdiction under this section, in either a For years, our Federal courts have f petty offense case or a misdemeanor case in struggled with how to assist indigent ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER which the defendant has consented to a mag- defendants when they find themselves PRO TEMPORE istrate judge, may also rule on all post-judg- in these difficult situations. But unfor- ment motions in that case, including but not The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. tunately, the courts’ efforts have come limited to petitions for writs of habeas cor- up against the text of the statute. This CUELLAR). Pursuant to clause 8 of rule pus, writs of coram nobis, motions to vacate bill would authorize courts in the in- XX, the Chair will postpone further a sentence under section 2255 of title 28, and proceedings today on motions to sus- motions related to mental competency under terest of justice to order the U.S. mar- pend the rules on which the yeas and chapter 313 of this title.’’. shals to cover roundtrip travel and sub- nays are ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- sistence for defendants who must at- The House will resume proceedings ant to the rule, the gentlewoman from tend court hearings but cannot afford to pay this on their own. The Judicial on postponed questions at a later time. Texas (Ms. GARCIA) and the gentleman Conference of the United States has f from Pennsylvania (Mr. RESCHENTHALER) each will control 20 urged us to correct this grave unfair- CRIMINAL JUDICIAL minutes. ness. I am pleased to see that we are fi- ADMINISTRATION ACT OF 2020 The Chair recognizes the gentle- nally doing that with this bill. woman from Texas. The second part of this bill con- Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I cerning Federal magistrate judges is GENERAL LEAVE move to suspend the rules and pass the also supported by the Judicial Con- Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I bill (H.R. 8124) to amend title 18, ference. Magistrate judges have trial ask unanimous consent that all Mem- United States Code, to provide for jurisdiction over certain mis- bers have 5 legislative days to revise transportation and subsistence for demeanors, except for class A mis- and extend their remarks and include criminal justice defendants, and for demeanors, for which the maximum extraneous material on the bill under other purposes, as amended. sentence is up to 1 year in custody. consideration. The Clerk read the title of the bill. With a defendant’s consent, however, a The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there The text of the bill is as follows: magistrate judge may exercise trial ju- objection to the request of the gentle- H.R. 8124 risdiction over a case involving a class woman from Texas? Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- A misdemeanor. There was no objection. resentatives of the United States of America in Magistrate judges frequently do so Congress assembled, Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may con- and often hear class A misdemeanor SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. cases all the way through judgment This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Criminal Ju- sume. dicial Administration Act of 2020’’. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8124, the Criminal and sentencing. Under current law, a magistrate’s jurisdiction ends after SEC. 2. TRANSPORTATION AND SUBSISTENCE Judicial Administration Act of 2020 is a FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT DE- bipartisan piece of legislation that judgment is entered in a misdemeanor FENDANTS. makes two very modest but important case and post-judgment jurisdiction re- Section 4285 of title 18, United States Code, amendments to current law, promoting verts to the district court. is amended in the first sentence— Indeed, magistrate judges are not au- (1) by striking ‘‘when the interests of jus- the efficient, effective, and fair admin- istration of justice. thorized to hear post-judgment mo- tice would be served thereby and the United tions, such as motions to vacate a sen- States judge or magistrate judge is satisfied, The first part of this bill concerns after appropriate inquiry, that the defendant out-of-custody criminal defendants, tence, even though they are the ones is financially unable to provide the nec- particularly those who are released that handled the entire matter at the essary transportation to appear before the pending trial to live in communities trial level and are best equipped to required court on his own’’ and inserting that are located far from the court- hear such post-judgment motions. ‘‘when the United States judge or magistrate house where their cases are being Among other things, this bill would judge is satisfied that the defendant is indi- heard. authorize a magistrate judge to hear gent based on appointment of counsel pursu- post-judgment motions in mis- ant to section 3006A, or, after appropriate in- The majority of Federal criminal de- quiry, that the defendant is financially un- fendants are detained pending trial, demeanor cases in which she or he ex- able to provide necessary transportation on and the United States Marshals Service ercised trial jurisdiction. This amend- his own’’; and is responsible for housing and trans- ment clearly improves judicial econ- (2) by striking ‘‘to the place where his ap- porting them to court hearings, includ- omy. It makes perfect sense. This is a pearance is required,’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) to ing trial. In addition, under current straightforward and bipartisan meas- the place where each appearance is required law, the court may order the U.S. mar- ure that will help our criminal justice and (2) to return to the place of the person’s shals to provide funds for a criminal system in a more effective and fair arrest or bona fide residence,’’; manner. (3) by striking ‘‘to his destination,’’ and in- defendant who is released pending trial serting ‘‘which includes money for both lodg- but cannot afford the cost of travel to Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of ing and food, during travel to the person’s cover the defendant’s travel to the lo- my time. destination and during any proceeding at cation of the courthouse for hearings Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speak- which the person’s appearance is required’’. or trial. er, I yield myself such time as I may SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE USE OF MAGISTRATE JUDGES However, the defendant must fund consume. TO DECIDE POSTJUDGMENT MO- their own way back home, and a de- Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. TIONS. 8124, the Criminal Judicial Administra- Section 3401 of title 18, United States Code, fendant in this position would not be is amended— able to receive financial support from tion Act of 2020. (1) in subsection (b)— the U.S. marshals for subsistence, such This bill strengthens existing laws (A) in the second sentence, by striking as lodging and meals. For an indigent about transportation and subsistence ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘trial, judgment,’’; defendant, these costs are sometimes for indigent criminal defendants. It (B) in the second sentence, by inserting ‘‘, insurmountable. does this when they are brought to and rulings on all post-judgment motions’’ For instance, a defendant from Ha- court proceedings. after ‘‘sentencing’’; waii who must attend their 2-week H.R. 8124 allows a magistrate judge (C) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘trial, judgment,’’; and trial in the Southern District of New to decide post-judgment motions in a (D) in the third sentence, by inserting ‘‘, York, would have to figure out how to misdemeanor case where the mag- and rulings on all post-judgment motions’’ pay for 2 weeks of lodging in New York istrate judge was the judge who han- after ‘‘sentencing’’; City, or a defendant released to live at dled the underlying misdemeanor case.

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