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Congressional Record—House H1915 April 21, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1915 me and to take some time to appre- independent country for 9 years and This underscores the absolute neces- ciate the natural beauty of their com- then joined the United States. sity of not only defeating this global munities and to work together to pre- Mr. Speaker, our past has allowed us wave of intolerance, but standing up serve our environment for future gen- to have today’s freedom. We thank and fighting for the right of others to erations. those Texian freedom fighters, on April freely express their views regardless of And that is just the way it is. 21, 1836, San Jacinto Day, for their bold whether you agree with those views or f sacrifices, for choosing freedom over not. HARRIET TUBMAN $20 BILL tyranny and creating Texas. I introduced H. Res. 396 to call on the And that is just the way it is. Government of Bangladesh to protect (Mr. HOYER asked and was given f the rights of all of its religious minori- permission to address the House for 1 ties, including Christians, Hindus, HOUSTON FLOOD VICTIMS minute and to revise and extend his re- atheists, and others. They have a re- marks.) (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was sponsibility to uphold the principles of Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday given permission to address the House its secular constitution, including free- Secretary of the Treasury Lew an- for 1 minute.) dom of religion and freedom of expres- nounced that for the first time U.S. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, sion, and take action against this paper currency will feature portraits of just a few days ago in Harris County, in senseless violence. great American women. I am very Houston, and in my congressional dis- I encourage my colleagues to take proud that a Maryland native, an aboli- trict and many other places, again, the action and support this resolution’s tion hero, Harriet Tubman, was se- State of Texas experienced a terrible passage. lected to be the new face on the $20 rain. It was not a hurricane and it was bill. not a tornado, but it was a f Born into slavery on Maryland’s downpouring of 20 inches-plus of rain. eastern shore, she escaped to freedom Our bayous overran, people were stand- REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA but returned to rescue her family mem- ing on furniture, babies had to be res- bers. It was dangerous and could easily cued, and people died. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under have cost Tubman her life or her free- Today, I want to call the names of the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- dom. seven people who died untimely in this uary 6, 2015, the gentleman from Okla- After rescuing her family, she kept terrible, terrible storm. Next week, I homa (Mr. RUSSELL) is recognized for coming back for others who sought will ask my colleagues to stand with 60 minutes as the designee of the ma- freedom, using the alias, Moses. How me for a minute of silence, but I want- jority leader. appropriate. She brought dozens of peo- ed in this week to call their names. Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, in Octo- ple out of slavery, never once losing a They were mothers and fathers, truck ber of this year, the Republic of Geor- passenger on her Underground Railroad drivers, mechanical engineers, teach- gia will hold elections. More than just route. an election to determine its national During the Civil War, she was an ers. They were Americans, they were Houstonians, they were Texans, and, leadership, this election will likely de- agent for the Union. In the decades fol- termine whether the Republic of Geor- lowing the war, she was active in the unfortunately, they died. The government must work better to gia remains a semi-free country that movement for women’s suffrage. will continue on a path to self-deter- I can think of no one more suited to ensure that there are flashing lights on underpasses and toward many other so- mination or whether it will succumb to be honored with a portrait on the $20 corruption, Russian oligarch influence, bill. I am also pleased that other lutions. We look forward to the dec- laration of disaster to help the people and Russian domination. women will be featured on our cur- Georgia has a long history of fighting rency. remaining. My sympathy to their families: Ger- to protect its identity against evil ty- f man Antonio Franco, Claudia Melgar, rants, bullying neighbors, corrupted of- SAN JACINTO DAY Sunita Vikas Malhara, Pedro Rascon ficials, and outright invasion. A small (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was Morales, Charles Edward Odom, Suresh but important nation with its distinct given permission to address the House Kumar Talluri, Teri White Rodriguez. language and people, Georgian terri- for 1 minute.) Mr. Speaker, may they rest in piece. tory forms a vital land bridge between Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in God bless their families in this terrible, Eastern Europe and West Asia that is the marshy plains where the San terrible time. nestled on the Black Sea. With the ex- Jacinto River meets Buffalo Bayou, f ception of her neighbor Armenia, much now near Houston, General Sam Hous- of her history has been fighting for sur- RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN ton and his volunteer Army of vival against her neighbors wanting to BANGLADESH Texians—men from most States and force her into Russian, Turkish, or Per- several countries, including Mexico, (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given sian domination. England, and Germany—faced the in- permission to address the House for 1 Since Georgia’s reassertion of inde- vading army under dictator Santa minute.) pendence from her Russian masters in Anna of Mexico. Texas was fighting for Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, in Ban- 1991, her struggle has not been easy. independence from Mexico because gladesh, the horrendous, brutal street Balanced between a crumbling Soviet Mexico had abolished its democracy assassinations of members of minority Union and internal unrest, Georgia and became an oppressive dictatorship. religions, secularists, and atheists vio- emerged from several years of civil It was the afternoon of April 21, late every single value that we hold strife to defend her independence. 1836—180 years ago today. The Texian dear. Georgia saw her first President, Zviad volunteers, although outnumbered 2–1, Just 2 weeks ago, 28-year-old Gamsakhurdia, ousted by Russian- caught the enemy literally by surprise. Nazimuddin Samad was hacked to backed leaders, such as Eduard On that hot afternoon, General Sam, death in Dhaka, Bangladesh, after Shevardnadze. During attempts to re- with his Tejano Cavalry protecting the speaking out against the persecution of store elected government, President flank, charged the invaders with the religious minorities on social media. Gamsakhurdia later would lose his life battle cry: Remember the Alamo. Re- Evelyn Beatrice Hall, the late British in still mysterious circumstances. member Goliad. author, wrote: ‘‘I disapprove of what After a period of domination by Rus- In 18 minutes, the battle was over. you say, but I will defend to the death sian-backed forces and political lead- Half of the enemy were killed, and the your right to say it.’’ ers, the nascent Republic of Georgia other half were captured. On that day, In Bangladesh, discrimination and strove for great reforms in the Rose Texas gained freedom and independ- deadly violence against atheists, Revolution of 2003, finally breaking her ence. secularists, Hindus, Buddhists, and chains and setting a path toward self- Sam Houston became President of other religious minorities have unfor- determination. The United States and the Republic of Texas. Texas was an tunately become a regular occurrence. the international community embraced VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:39 Apr 22, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K21AP7.032 H21APPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with HOUSE H1916 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 21, 2016 this effort, and global monitors af- 1918 or in 1991, Russia somehow feels it leaders who are discovered to be firmed the legitimate vote of the peo- is her right to treat Georgians as a sub- complicit in tampering with free elec- ple that exposed the corruption of the class of human beings that only exist tions to have their visas revoked and election results. to serve the interests of Moscow and their assets frozen. b 1200 her territory should only merely be a We also call upon Western journalists transitway for Russian interests. in our free press to give the Georgian Shevardnadze’s government at- After the successful removal of Rus- people a chance to have their story tempted to ignore the true results, but sian chains in the Rose Revolution in heard by investigating and covering the Georgian people had a different 2003, Russia has continually bullied the remaining few months of what plan and peacefully forced Georgia’s political system, fomented could be the last free months of a Re- Shevardnadze to succumb to the will of unrest in Abkhazia and Ossetia, in- public of Georgia. the people as they stormed the par- vaded Georgia, and violated her agree- Finally, we call upon the self-deter- liament with roses. It was one of the ment to withdraw from bases in Geor- mined, free, and resolute people of most inspirational episodes of freedom gian territory. Amazingly, through all Georgia to stand in the spirit of St. in world history. of this, Georgia has remained resolute. George. Since then, Georgia has enjoyed a pe- So, in classic form, Russia has moved Hold your head high, grasp the lance, riod of self-determination, Western en- to infiltrate the political process in the and pierce the attacking dragon.
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