E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 165 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019 No. 24 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was observer, that there is the bigotry. The It has been our policy when this level called to order by the Speaker pro tem- refusal to resign when there is clear of bigotry surfaces, when it shows its pore (Mrs. MURPHY). and convincing evidence of bigotry, ugly head, we take it on. There is a f when there is guilt beyond all doubt, means by which we can deal with big- when there is a smoking gun, the re- otry in policy, but if we allow political DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO fusal to resign under these cir- expediency—the belief that we ought to TEMPORE cumstances is a symptom. defeat a bigoted President—to trump The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- The problem is at the Presidential the moral imperative to remove him fore the House the following commu- level. It is the refusal to take on a from office, the moral imperative to nication from the Speaker: President who has exhibited bigotry in impeach bigotry emanating in policy from the Presidency, we have a moral WASHINGTON, DC, policy. When we allow bigotry in policy February 7, 2019. to proceed with immunity, we allow imperative to do so, and we can do so. I hereby appoint the Honorable STEPHANIE persons to believe that they, too, can There is a committee that can con- N. MURPHY to act as Speaker pro tempore on emulate that which comes from the vene to deal with bigotry emanating this day. highest office in the land. from the Presidency creating the NANCY PELOSI, Madam Speaker, this level of bigotry symptoms that we see in others who Speaker of the House of Representatives. in policy cannot be tolerated. You refuse to leave office after their big- f have, in Virginia, a Klansman and otry has been revealed. There is a com- mittee that we can convene. That com- MORNING-HOUR DEBATE blackface next to each other in a year- book. It has been acknowledged as that mittee is called the Congress of the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- of the Governor. United States. ant to the order of the House of Janu- With that acknowledgment and with Any one Member of Congress can call ary 3, 2019, the Chair will now recog- that additional indication that it was to the attention of this august body nize Members from lists submitted by done on a previous occasion, blackface, that such thing has happened; and the majority and minority leaders for there is enough evidence not only to when it is called to this body’s atten- morning-hour debate. ask that the Governor resign, but to tion, we can take a vote, we can go on The Chair will alternate recognition demand that he do so. record. between the parties. All time shall be But I understand why this level of Are we going to allow bigotry to em- anate from the Presidency or will we equally allocated between the parties, bigotry is going to be tolerated to a go on record? I say we go on record. and in no event shall debate continue certain extent, because we don’t want I am one Member of Congress who, beyond 11:50 a.m. Each Member, other to take on the President. If we allow than the majority and minority leaders after 400 years of bigotry and hatred the President to exist with his bigotry, and slavery and all of these other ugly and the minority whip, shall be limited how can we demand with any degree of to 5 minutes. features and evidence of harm to soci- credibility that the Governor resign? ety—forgive me for getting so wrapped f We have to start at the top. This up in it, but I have to say it. After all level of bigotry is trickling down to of this, for 400 years, it is time for Con- BIGOTRY AND POLICY WILL NOT this extent that people are going to BE TOLERATED gress to take this vote. refuse to acknowledge their bigotry. We have had 400 years to deal with it, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The They will lie and deny. They will do all and we haven’t. What better way to Chair recognizes the gentleman from that they can to stay in office. deal with bigotry in this country than Texas (Mr. GREEN) for 5 minutes. We have to take a stand, and I stand to say to the world: We will extricate a Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speak- today to say that we cannot allow this President from office for his bigotry? er, and still I rise. I rise today, Madam incident to go unchecked. Because There will be a vote on impeachment, Speaker, to take a stand for liberty what will we do next when there is a regardless of what the Mueller commis- and justice for all against bigotry and Nazi standing in a photograph and sion says. hatred. there is a noose in a photograph, there Bigotry in policy will not be toler- I rise to call to our attention, Madam are swastikas? ated. Speaker, that the refusal to resign be- This is going to continue. It doesn’t The SPEAKER pro tempore. Mem- cause of blatant bigotry is a symptom, end with Virginia. This is but one bers are reminded to refrain from en- the refusal to resign when it is obvious, symptom, and we have to do what we gaging in personalities toward the intuitively obvious to the most casual have always done. President. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H1395 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A07FE7.000 H07FEPT1 H1396 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 7, 2019 A BETTER POLICY TOWARD CUBA It is an extraterritorial sanction that We are just 8 days from once again The SPEAKER pro tempore. The guarantees a response from our trading having the possibility of having 800,000 Chair recognizes the gentleman from partners, like Canada, Spain, and the workers, Federal employees—air traffic Massachusetts (Mr. MCGOVERN) for 5 EU, including complaints at the World controllers, Border Patrol agents, Se- minutes. Trade Organization. cret Service personnel, and many, Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, And if you care about agriculture, be many more—being furloughed or forced our policy toward Cuba should be one warned: to work without pay. That is not for area where Democrats and Republicans It will open a new front in the trade the people. can find common ground. war, with all the repercussions that We saw how the 35-day-long govern- There are not many communist coun- can bring; ment shutdown affected our constitu- tries left, but let’s consider that, when It will allow Cuba to claim victim ents, our communities. We heard all it came to the old Soviet bloc or China status and rally international support; the stories about the shutdown. We It will clog our courts with lawsuits; and Vietnam today, we have agreed on heard stories of cancer patients being It will make it impossible to nego- the basics. We all differ with their forced to choose between treatment or tiate compensation for U.S. claims in human rights practices, and we say so. paying their rent. We heard the stories Cuba and, in the end, hurt the very We stand up for our security inter- of families, for the first time ever, Americans who seek compensation for ests. We cooperate when we can. We being forced to turn to food banks and property they lost; support trade and citizen contact be- soup kitchens to eat. And the list goes cause they are good for our economy It will divide us from friends and al- lies who are now working for a peaceful on and on. and they increase our influence. Madam Speaker, what we did here In this vein, let me praise a few Re- solution in Venezuela; and was, during the State of the Union Ad- publicans: It will guarantee that new invest- President Nixon for the opening to ment in Cuba will come from the Rus- dress, President Trump spoke about China; sians, Chinese, and others who are hos- how we must ‘‘reject the politics of re- President Ford for the Helsinki Ac- tile to the United States and whose venge, resistance, and retaliation.’’ He cords and the principle that people and Stated-owned companies can’t be sued needs to heed those words and live up information should flow freely across in U.S. courts. to his promise: ‘‘ . bridge old divi- borders; Once again, the U.S. will be pursuing sions, heal old wounds, build new coali- President Reagan for vastly expand- a strategy that has failed over and over tions, forge new solutions, and unlock ing engagement with the Soviet Union and over again for absolutely no good the extraordinary promise of America’s and its people. result. future.’’ These are big achievements, none of Madam Speaker, there is a better He can take an important step in them terribly controversial, but Cuba way that deserves vocal, bipartisan that direction by letting the con- is an exception.