E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 149 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2003 No. 147 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was the fiscal year ending September 30, civil rights issue has touched my no- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- 2004, and for other purposes,’’ requests tion of fairness in government policy in pore (Mr. ADERHOLT). a conference with the House on the dis- very profound ways. Since I chaired the f agreeing votes of the two Houses there- Oregon Legislature’s first hearing on on, and appoints Mr. STEVENS, Mr. nondiscrimination some 30 years ago, I DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO COCHRAN, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. DOMENICI, have observed the ebb and flow of the TEMPORE Mr. BOND, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. BURNS, debate on gay rights, attended hear- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- Mr. SHELBY, Mr. GREGG, Mr. BENNETT, ings, and learned the stories of real fore the House the following commu- Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. CRAIG, Mrs. people. I have also developed a wide nication from the Speaker: HUTCHISON, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. circle of friends and have many col- WASHINGTON, DC, BROWNBACK, Mr. BYRD, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. leagues who are gay and in committed October 20, 2003. HOLLINGS, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. HARKIN, Ms. relationships. I have come to under- I hereby appoint the Honorable ROBERT B. MIKULSKI, Mr. REID, Mr. KOHL, Mrs. stand the equality for gays and les- ADERHOLT to act as Speaker pro tempore on MURRAY, Mr. DORGAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, bians as an issue of justice for us all re- this day. Mr. DURBIN, Mr. JOHNSON, and Ms. gardless of our sexual orientation or J. DENNIS HASTERT, LANDRIEU, to be the conferees on the political philosophy. Speaker of the House of Representatives. part of the Senate. Along the way, I have experienced a f The message also announced that the couple of painful episodes that helped MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE Senate has passed a bill of the fol- define my thinking. As a county com- lowing title in which the concurrence missioner in the 1980’s, we enacted one A message from the Senate by Mr. of the House is requested: of the first and most comprehensive Monahan, one of its clerks, announced S. 300. An act to award a congressional nondiscrimination ordinances in the that the Senate has passed without gold medal to Jackie Robinson (post- country. The backlash, however, from amendment a bill of the House of the humously), in recognition of his many con- some of the extreme right was brutal. following title: tributions to the Nation, and to express the And faced with an opposing referendum H.R. 1900. An act to award a congressional sense of Congress that there should be a na- that would threaten to divide the com- gold medal to Jackie Robinson (post- tional day in recognition of Jackie Robinson. munity, leaders in the local gay and humously), in recognition of his many con- f lesbian movement urged the commis- tributions to the Nation, and to express the sion to repeal the ordinance. But that sense of the Congress that there should be a MORNING HOUR DEBATES did not make it any easier to explain national day in recognition of Jackie Robin- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- son. to gay citizens sitting in the front ant to the order of the House of Janu- rows, some of whom were crying with The message also announced that the ary 7, 2003, the Chair will now recog- Senate has passed with amendments in disbelief and anger. nize Members from lists submitted by Twelve years later in Congress, I con- which the concurrence of the House is the majority and minority leaders for fronted the Defense of Marriage Act to requested, bills of the House of the fol- morning hour debates. The Chair will create a Federal definition of marriage lowing titles: alternate recognition between the par- as a union between a man and a H.R. 1516. An act to provide for the estab- ties, with each party limited to not to woman. Until DOMA, marriage issues lishment by the Secretary of Veterans Af- exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, had not been a high priority for the fairs of five additional cemeteries in the Na- except the majority leader, the minor- tional Cemetery System. gay and lesbian movement nor for Con- H.R. 3289. An act making emergency sup- ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- gress. But with the introduction of this plemental appropriations for defense and for ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. legislation, all that changed when the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan The Chair recognizes the gentleman some people from the extreme right for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, from Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 wing were pushing the hot button issue and for other purposes. minutes. of same sex marriage in order to assure The message also announced that the f the political failure of the gay and les- Senate insists upon its amendment to bian civil rights agenda. The country the bill (H.R. 3289) ‘‘An Act making EQUAL RIGHTS: A PERSONAL was not simply ready to discuss same emergency supplemental appropria- ODYSSEY sex marriage in any rational way. tions for defense and for the recon- Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, Hoping to deny the extreme right struction of Iraq and Afghanistan for the evolution of the gay and lesbian wing the opportunity to exploit this 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. H9689 . VerDate jul 14 2003 00:52 Oct 21, 2003 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A20OC7.000 H20PT1 H9690 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 20, 2003 issue further, I cast my vote in favor of claims are down, and corporate profits cycling champion Lance Armstrong. DOMA. Looking back 8 years later, and economic growth are way up. Last This amazing team of riders rode for 7 while my analysis may have been accu- week, we even learned the Federal def- days from Los Angeles to Washington, rate, it remains one of the few votes in icit has come in much lower than an- DC, covering 120 miles per day per Congress that I would change. Sadly, ticipated, as Republicans predicted it rider. They rode during the day and people who choose to exploit fear and would. during the night. The Tour of Hope bigotry based on sexual orientation In other words, the Bush economy team climbed mountains and crossed continue to do so regardless of any evi- and the Federal Government are recov- rivers and reached communities across dence to the contrary. ering with a vengeance from the ‘‘bin America to inspire millions and share My vote on DOMA also caused polit- Laden’’ slump. The faster the economy the importance of cancer research. ical confusion and pain for people who grows, the sooner we can balance the They used this ride to share their per- knew of my commitment for equality budget, all the while maintaining our sonal stories to help raise awareness for gays and lesbians. Most troubling commitment to our national priorities. about the need for cancer patients to for me was the implication that my Of course, the war remains our Na- participate in clinical trials so that we vote somehow may have been inter- tion’s defining objective. Without vic- might achieve cures more quickly. Par- preted as an attack on people’s ability tory over international terror and the ticipation is of crucial importance to to make their own choices about their security and prosperity victory will finding a cure. If clinical trials are not personal relationships and their dig- bring, no other item on any agenda is performed on new drugs, these drugs nity as human beings. even possible. The reconstruction and will not be available to those afflicted Recently, gay civil rights victories in democracy-building now underway in with cancer. the Supreme Court, the State of Iraq is a central component of that Nat’s personal story is especially im- Vermont, and in Canada have created a war, as a stable Iraq will be an invalu- portant to New Mexico and all Native resurgence of controversy surrounding able ally in our fight against terror. Americans. Nat Cobb is actively en- this issue. These successes do not have To highlight the progress we are gaged in making cancer screenings and to lead to more antigay proposals and making over there and to draw the clinical trials available to Indian popu- rhetoric. Most Americans today have public’s and the media’s attention to lations all over the country. He has friends and relatives who are involved the good being done, we have created worked with a number of hospitals and with same sex relationships based on FREEDOM.GOV. On the FREE- clinics to enroll patients in trials and the same deep emotional commitment DOM.GOV Web site, citizens can find to educate people about preventing and affection found in the heterosexual articles and features from Members of cancer through programs on tobacco community. Congress who have been to liberated It is now time for Congress to play a control and life-style changes. He was Iraq and reported back on what they constructive role in affirming civil an excellent choice to ride in the Tour have seen and our need to finish the job rights for gays and lesbians.