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. You gagement, human rights improve- hopes of creating its own pro-Moscow have been threatened before. By your ments, and trade. This has not been government in the Georgian capital to commitment, as in 2003, you can show without cost. Separatists in the Geor- hand them everything on a silver polit- the world again that freedom will not gian districts of Ossetia and Abkhazia, ical platter. succumb to corruption and intimida- encouraged by Moscow, cast the Repub- Chief among the funding efforts and tion. lic of Georgia into turmoil. Russia used political infiltration is oligarch The people of Georgia should also this unrest as pretext to invade Geor- Bidzina Ivanishvili, a close ally of know the God of the universe does not gia and still occupies these territories Vladimir Putin. The aim is to rig votes slumber. We, the people of the United while denouncing earlier agreements to along the same lines as was attempted States, join with the people of Georgia close Russian bases on Georgia’s Black in 2003 by buying votes, punishing po- in our prayers for your freedom. Sea coast. litical opponents, using Georgia’s own Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time. Still, President Mikheil Saakashvili administrative and political resources f was able to take his rightful place as to influence the elections while using THE WEEK IN REVIEW the duly elected President of Georgia, Georgian special forces to influence the and his reforms brought Georgia from a outcomes. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under backward status in the world to a Combined with the full privatization the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- much improved financial structure, of the election commissions, who one uary 6, 2015, the gentleman from Texas with marked increases in economic source estimates is now 98 percent con- (Mr. GOHMERT) is recognized for the re- growth and foreign investment. trolled by Ivanishvili, the Georgian mainder of the hour as the designee of For all of Georgia’s struggles, for all people face an alarming prospect in the majority leader. of her self-determination, outside their right to free elections in October Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I so neighbors once again are vying to of this year. much appreciate my colleague and make Georgia subservient to their Faced with such bullying, the Geor- friend talking about the Georgia elec- wishes. Russia has been stung by free gian people are looking to the world for tion. We should be encouraging fair peoples in independent states that she support. It is somehow fitting, Mr. elections everywhere and, when they once dominated in the Soviet era that Speaker, that this Saturday marks St. are not fair, calling those to account. now choose instead to preserve their George’s Day in world history. Not that we are the policemen of the language, culture, history, and restore St. George, the Christian martyr and world, but it becomes so much more their freedom. mythical slayer of dragons, is the unfortunate when you have a nation Russia, for its part, has done every- namesake from whom the country of like Egypt that gets pushed into elec- thing in its power to force these peo- Georgia takes its name, according to tions before they are ready, the Muslim ples back into a serf status. Whether in some legends. Brotherhood takes over the country, as Crimea, Ukraine, the Baltic States, or The Georgian people are willing to in Egypt when Morsi became President. Georgia, the pattern has been the slay this political dragon and stand for He began shredding the Constitution same. their freedom as they have before, but and taking more and more power as it Russia’s playbook starts with flood- they need our help. happened in Venezuela with Chavez and ing opposition groups with cash from We can ignore their pleas—after all, other countries. He had taken a lesson: oligarchs loyal to Moscow. Separatists most Americans don’t even know This is the way you do it. You get are courted in areas with some Russian where Georgia is on the map—or we elected, and then you start seizing ethnicity and then encouraged to fo- can give them a megaphone to shout more and more power. ment division against these struggling their message, and the message is this: To the credit of the Egyptian people, republics, demanding their rights for They wish to remain free. their story in recent years is the great- Russian peoples in these territories. Here are some simple steps that we, est peaceful uprising in the history of Russia then aids militias to create in our country, can take: We call on the world. It wasn’t entirely peaceful violence that strains the local political the President of the United States to because of the violence of the Muslim and law enforcement structure, causing assist in monitoring of this fall’s elec- Brotherhood. the people living there to wish for any- tion processes in Georgia, as we once They want a world caliphate, and thing—even the bad old days—to some- assisted them in the pivotal 2003 elec- they want to start with something re- how restore order. tions. sembling the old Ottoman Empire, that Then national political parties are We call upon the Georgian electoral caliphate that came around North Afri- infiltrated and flushed with oligarch commissions to be restored to rep- ca and on around the Mediterranean, cash and promises of power as they resentative membership to counter the and they need Egypt in order to make convert legitimate parliaments into private buyout being conducted by the beginning of the caliphate work. calls for pro-Moscow governance that, Moscow and their proxy, oligarch And so they were quite happy when in essence, become nothing more than Bidzina Ivanishvili. radical Islam, Muslim Brotherhood, the old Soviet Socialist structure ruled We call upon the United States De- took over Egypt through Morsi. But by Moscow. partment of Treasury and Western when the Egyptian people, a third of In Georgia, it has been no different. banks to freeze the assets of Ivanishvili the population, basically—30 million or Despite Georgia casting off outside in- for violations as an illegal arms trader. so of the 90 million there in the nation vaders and attempting to push off the We call upon the State Department of Egypt—rose up together, yes, you chains of Russia in the early 1800s or in to flag Georgian officials and business had Muslims marching with Christians.

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