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Congressional Record—House H4224 H4224 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 19, 2003 51 Texas legislators who fought to stop unlawful and certainly unethical use of ington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, today U.S. House Majority Leader TOM Federal resources, antiterrorism re- that should be of great and grave con- DELAY from forcing a divisive, partisan sources to track down the law-abiding cern to all Americans. Because, Mr. and unnecessary congressional redis- citizen Pete Laney? Speaker, the Department of Homeland tricting plan through the Texas House Secondly, do you have something to Security, a U.S. government agency, of Representatives. Their act of cour- hide? Why is our U.S. homeland secu- has basically now had to admit that it age was heralded by editorial boards rity agency afraid to let the American used a homeland security plane and throughout our State of Texas. I salute people and the press know what was in government resources for political pur- legislators like Jim Dunnam and John that conversation? poses and now they are covering it up. Mabry from my hometown of Waco, Thirdly, does the public not deserve As most of the country now knows, Texas. to hear the conversation that led to Texas Democrats in the State House Without their actions on Monday what does appear to be a gross abuse of recently absented themselves from the morning of last week, the Texas House Federal resources? floor to break a quorum, a legitimate would have passed a plan that would Fourthly, to the homeland security parliamentary maneuver. This angered have split my 100-year-old historic agency, our U.S. agency again trying the Republican powers that be in Wash- rural central Texas district into four to defend us against terrorism, if the ington, D.C. A homeland security plane different congressional districts tape exonerates you and your actions, was dispatched to try to follow and stretching from Fort Worth to the sub- what are you afraid of? Why are you harass Pete Laney, the former Demo- urbs of Houston to San Antonio, lit- not willing to release that tape now, cratic Speaker of the Texas House, and erally covering hundreds and hundreds not weeks, not months from now, not other members. Upon being caught and of miles without a single bit of input years from now? Why are you afraid to not before, the Department of Home- from one mayor or city council mem- release that tape now to Members of land Security said that they actually ber in our district, one school board Congress and to the public? were under the impression that the member, because that plan was only Fifth, did Majority Leader TOM plane was lost or crashed. put together on Mother’s Day after- DELAY or House Speaker Tom Craddick Mr. Speaker, that is just not cred- noon last Sunday with the intention of or any one of their staffs or someone ible. That is just not so. Period. passing it through the Texas House speaking in their behalf ask the Texas Now it has been learned that a tape starting at 10 a.m. the next day, on Department of Public Safety to make and a transcript of the contact between Monday morning. That was wrong for this request to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and law enforce- that plan to have been pushed and Homeland Security? ment has been discovered. And what right for Texas legislators to stand up We will not know the answer to those has been the response of homeland se- not for themselves, not for me, but for questions until the tape of our U.S. curity? They refused to turn over the the right of central Texas citizens in homeland security agency is made tape. They refused to turn over the my district and Texans, Republicans available to the public. transcript. and Democrats alike throughout our Mr. Speaker, this is no longer just a Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. State, to have a voice in shaping their Texas issue. It is an issue for all Amer- What did they know and when did they congressional districts and the future icans who care about defending our know it? The U.S. Congress calls upon of their communities. families and our neighborhoods and our Homeland Security to release the While the Texas legislators are back communities from terrorists. How hor- tapes, stop the cover-up, and do it now. in Austin working on State priority rible it is that during the very week Otherwise, they need to get a dic- issues, there are some questions that that al Qaeda was preparing the final tionary and they need to look up the will not go away and some questions to efforts apparently to attack Morocco word ‘‘subpoena.’’ Otherwise, they need which the American people deserve an and American citizens in Saudi Arabia to get the statutes and look up in the answer. our homeland security agency was statutes the term ‘‘freedom of informa- Outrageously, the U.S. Department tracking down former State Speaker of tion.’’ of Homeland Security, the new agency the House and present State represent- The use of the Federal Government with the responsibility to protect ative Pete Laney in Hale Center, for political purposes should frighten American families from terrorists here Texas, a community of just over 2,000 all Americans. The Fort Worth Star- and abroad, that agency used Federal people, not known as a hotbed of Is- Telegram said this Sunday, ‘‘To meet antiterrorism resources and personnel lamic fundamentalism or radicalism in the threat of global terrorism, the to track down Texas Representative little old west Texas. United States is assembling enormous Pete Laney of Hale Center, Texas, as f Federal resources focusing on activi- he flew his private airplane from his ties in American cities, neighborhoods hometown to Ardmore, Oklahoma. To The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gen- and countrysides that could endanger borrow a phrase from former Senator those citizens. If we are to have this se- tleman from Texas (Mr. CULBERSON) is Lloyd Bentsen, ‘‘I know Pete Laney, curity apparatus, it must be contained Pete Laney is a friend of mine, and I recognized for 5 minutes. (Mr. CULBERSON addressed the to its designated purposes. There must can assure you Pete Laney is no ter- be every safeguard so that it does not rorist.’’ Quite to the contrary, he is the House. His remarks will appear here- after in the Extensions of Remarks.) cross the thin line between protecting former Speaker of the Texas House, a innocent citizens and spying on their respected leader in our legislature, re- f private lives. That these security re- spected by members of both sides of the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a sources were used no matter in what aisle. In fact, Pete Laney was the one previous order of the House, the gentle- minor way in a Texas political dispute individual that President George Bush woman from the District of Columbia should be alarming to us all.’’ who then as Governor Bush asked Mr. (Ms. NORTON) is recognized for 5 min- And, Mr. Speaker, alarmingly there Laney to introduce for the first time to utes. is more. Not only has the Federal Gov- the public President-elect Bush in his (Ms. NORTON addressed the House. ernment been spying on citizens for first speech to the Nation and the Her remarks will appear hereafter in private purposes and then covering it world once he found out he would be the Extensions of Remarks.) up but also the authority of the state President. f has been used to intimidate and ter- I have some questions for the Depart- rorize the families of Texas legislators. ment of Homeland Security: TEXAS REDISTRICTING One, and most importantly, why will The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a b 2000 you not release the tapes of the con- previous order of the House, the gen- Here are some examples: Representa- versation between the Texas Depart- tleman from Texas (Mr. SANDLIN) is tive Craig Eiland, his wife recently had ment of Public Safety and the U.S. recognized for 5 minutes. premature twins, the twins in the neo- homeland security agency, the very Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, there is natal unit of the hospital. Investiga- conversation that led to the possibly disturbing news coming out of Wash- tors were sent to the neonatal unit to VerDate Jan 31 2003 04:13 May 20, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K19MY7.040 H19PT1.
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