Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page H2424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CALLING FOR DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS RACISM
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise, and I rise because
I love my country.
I rise because the winds of change are blowing across America. The
winds of change are blowing through this House of Representatives.
There will be changes in this House, and these changes are taking place
because we are not respecting the will of the people. The people are
speaking to us, and we must listen. The winds of change are blowing.
We have an opportunity to do more than talk about invidious
discrimination. We have an opportunity to do more than talk about
racism. We have an opportunity to do something that can change the
course of history.
H. Res. 992 addresses the change that we need.
To my dear brother who just spoke, I would have you sign on to H.
Res. 992. It would provide a department of reconciliation. Yes, the
Emancipation Proclamation was not a declaration of reconciliation. It
is time for us to reconcile.
We have survived slavery, but we didn't reconcile. We have survived
Jim Crow's laws and Bull Connor's dogs, but we didn't reconcile. It is
time to reconcile.
All the commissions are fine, and I support them, but a department
that reports directly to the President of the United States of America
is in order. We need a secretary of reconciliation, someone who wakes
up every morning with his mission of reconciling by way of developing a
strategy and implementing a strategy to eliminate racial segregation as
it exists in many places still, but racism, more specifically, and
invidious discrimination.
Every day, invidious discrimination and racism will be addressed.
This is the means by which we can also get updates on progress.
We can institutionalize a methodology by which we can realize true
racial reform in this country, racial equity, as it were. This
department would have as its mission to eliminate discrimination
against all the protected classes. The secretary of reconciliation will
report to Congress twice a year and explain the progress that is being
made, or lack thereof.
This department would be funded with a minimum of 10 percent, or the
equivalent of 10 percent of what the Defense Department's budget is, a
minimum of 10 percent of the equivalent of the Defense Department's
budget. We know that the Defense Department's budget will be funded;
that means that the department of reconciliation will be funded.
Those who do not recognize the winds of change, those who believe
that we can go back to bigotry as usual, you are mistaken. This
resolution is a means by which we can send a message to all Americans
that we understand that the time has come for change. Now is the time
to bring about the change by way of a department of reconciliation.
I close with this. We don't have to listen, but I guarantee you we
will feel the effects of not listening. The winds of change are blowing
through this House of Representatives.
____________________
