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AND STILL I RISE
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, a proud, liberated Democrat unbought and unbossed in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm.
And I rise today with a very simple message: Black lives still matter. It doesn't matter who is in power, Black lives matter. The circumstances haven't changed. Black lives matter wherever they happen to be. They matter in Haiti, and they matter at the southern border.
Mr. Speaker, what you see here is despicable and reprehensible. This is what is happening at the southern border, persons on horses lashing out apparently at persons who are from Haiti. Black lives still matter, and it is important to note that these persons, when they are rounded up apparently and sent back to Haiti, are given $50, a phone card and some food. Many of these persons haven't been to Haiti in over a decade--over 10 years--and they are given $50, a phone card, and some food.
Black lives matter. This has got to change. This is why I have introduced H. Res. 670. It condemns the actions that we have seen at the border; it condemns the actions. It doesn't condemn the people; it condemns the actions. I have some personal thoughts about the behavior of the people and the people themselves, but this resolution condemns these actions. I believe all people of goodwill should find these actions abhorrent and deplorable.
I also believe that those who tolerate injustice--this is an injustice--those who tolerate injustice perpetuate injustice.
I am asking that H. Res. 670 be brought to the floor of this House so that this House can go on record as opposing what we have seen at the border that is inhumane. We ought to go on record opposing this.
We have gone on record opposing things that have been said by people who are within the House and without the House. This House has gone on record when we have had these seminal moments in time. This is another seminal moment in time that requires some time on the floor of this House to show the world that we stand for justice and that this injustice should not stand.
Finally, I indicated that when they are deported to Haiti they receive $50, some food, and a phone card. But here is something that I find appalling as well: Haitians have been given temporary protected status in this country. Mr. Speaker, if you were here at a certain time prior to a certain time, you were given temporary protected status. Well, we are sending people who are Haitians back to Haiti who haven't been there in 10 years, but there are others who will stay because we are saying that the conditions are not acceptable to send people back to Haiti. That contradiction has to be reconciled. We shouldn't be sending people to Haiti when we said that Haiti is not safe for us to send Haitians to.
Mr. Speaker, Black lives still matter. It doesn't matter who is in power, Mr. Speaker. Circumstances don't change, and until they change, a liberated Democrat is going to continue to say that we must be a part of that change.
I pray that we will have H. Res. 670 brought to the floor so that we can show the world that we believe Black lives matter.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 165
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