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[Page H246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING MONROE COUNTY BICENTENNIAL
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Comer) for 5 minutes.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my beloved Monroe
County as we enter the 200th year of our county's rich and storied
history.
A small rural county in south central Kentucky, Monroe County is home
to communities steeped in history and tradition. Whether you are from
Tompkinsville, Gamaliel, or Fountain Run, you have a shared Monroe
County identity.
If you are a Monroe Countian, you more than likely enjoy our
legendary barbecue and probably have countless stories to tell about
our county's rich history, especially our political history.
This Sunday, January 19, hundreds of us will gather to celebrate
Monroe County's 200th birthday. As we meet at the Tompkinsville
National Guard Armory for this proud occasion, I will be seeing many of
the friendly faces that shaped my upbringing and remain good friends to
this day.
Monroe County holds a special place in my heart; and now, more than
ever, I am proud to serve as a voice for our citizens right here in our
Nation's Capitol.
{time} 1045
Taking a Stand Against Sanctuary Cities
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern about the
upturn of sanctuary cities across the United States and push for action
to enhance public safety by further cracking down on illegal
immigration.
There should be consequences for not following the law. Local
governments that choose not to enforce immigration laws recklessly put
lives at risk. Senseless deaths occasionally result from crimes
committed by criminal illegal aliens who take refuge in sanctuary
cities.
Action is needed to prevent more harm from cities refusing to
cooperate with Federal immigration officials. Allowing cities to tie
the hands of our brave law enforcement officers and ignore the law
should not be tolerated. I am calling on Congress to strengthen the
safety of our communities by passing legislation banning sanctuary
cities.
But while we continue to await action on this important issue, States
are stepping up and making this a top priority. I want to commend the
leaders in my home State of Kentucky who are taking proactive action to
ban sanctuary cities and strengthen public safety. The leadership they
are showing on this issue is an important step toward giving law
enforcement more tools to go after major problems like drug trafficking
and will benefit all Kentuckians.
Delayed Transmission of Impeachment Articles
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, as of today, it has been 4 weeks since House
Democrats voted, in a historically partisan manner, to impeach
President Donald Trump.
In voting to silence the will of 63 million Americans, they made
clear that they were not here to work for the American people but to
carry out a personal vendetta. Even a few House Democrats realized that
impeachment was not in the best interest of our country, joining
Republicans to oppose this baseless crusade.
But after their vote, Speaker Pelosi realized they had made a grave
mistake. Their sham process and evidence-free case went against the
wishes of the American people.
Knowing their case was baseless, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats
sat on these articles for 1 month. After originally claiming that
impeachment was an urgent crisis and insisting that President Trump was
a threat to national security, Democrats sat on their hands and delayed
a timely trial on their own shoddy work product.
But the day has finally come where they are sending their weak case
over to the Senate. I look forward to the day where Congress may
finally move on from this partisan impeachment process that has wasted
an amazing amount of time and resources and distracted from issues that
matter most to the American people.
While I am disappointed that we have reached this sad point in this
congressional body, I look forward to seeing a more fair and
responsible hearing in the Senate.
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