We Must Continue to Root Out Racism
Floor Speech
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Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor tonight's CBC Special Order hour.
I first want to thank the coanchors, Representative Veasey and Delegate Stacey Plaskett, for their work on coanchoring the Special Order hour for the caucus.
Our thoughts and our prayers are with those in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, as well as those in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, and others who have been impacted by the devastating hurricanes. We also pray for our brothers and sisters in Mexico, who are recovering and rehabilitating after the devastating earthquake that rocked their country. We encourage all to do what they can do to help our brothers and our sisters.
Tonight, we are here to talk about how we must continue to root out racism. We are here to talk about how we should bring our neighborhoods, our Nation, together and not drive Americans apart.
What took place in Charlottesville, and the dialogue with the NFL players, the NBA players, President Trump continues to highlight how our President does not seem to understand what is at stake and how his actions are undermining the strength and the stability of our neighborhoods.
You have heard me say, as I have said it again and again two summers ago when speaking to members of an African-American community at a rally in Philadelphia, President Trump says: ``What do you have to lose?''
He actually said: ``What the hell do you have to lose?'' That is right. What do you have to lose? Everything, Mr. President.
We have everything to lose: good schools for our children, safe neighborhoods, reliable healthcare, quality jobs, peace of mind, and that the next generation will be better off.
President Trump has been in office for almost 250 days, and all we have to show for it is division, division, division. He has divided our country in ways we didn't even think we wanted to acknowledge are still happening in 2017.
For the next 60 minutes, we have a chance to speak directly to the American people on issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congress, and the constituents we represent.
Madam Speaker, I would like to yield to the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Honorable Cedric Richmond from the Second Congressional District of Louisiana.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the distinguished chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who, under his leadership, has clearly demonstrated that he understands and gets it.
Look at the President's actions just this past week. He is involved in an incredible, misguided, thoughtless, careless Twitter fight with the NFL, the NBA, and other athletes, while people in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands need emergency housing, electricity, clean water, and other Federal aid.
When Americans think of big things, they think of the Office of the President of the United States. Let me repeat that. When Americans think of big things, they think of the Office of the President of the United States.
In these times, Americans--and the rest of the world, for that matter--think of the U.S. President as a person who takes time to think over the great ideas of the day, works to fix the biggest problems and find ways to make the world come together, no matter the party, no matter the person.
Madam Speaker, I want to yield to a gentleman whom I have known for a long period of time, and I knew his father, who was a real leader, and he has definitely come along and carried that. As a matter of fact, we are neighbors. He is from the great Garden State, the honorable Donald Payne, Jr., of the Tenth Congressional District.
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Madam Speaker, the gentleman from New Jersey is spot on, as usual. He has a very quiet demeanor, but he is someone who, when he speaks, is very clear and concise with his thoughts and his comments.
In the short period of time that I have been here, I have watched him in action; and I think when you just heard his comments, you heard that he really understands, as he said, that we all do believe in America, but we know there is an awful lot of work to do, and he has certainly expressed that.
Madam Speaker, professional sports is a system built on unity and bringing people together. As civic leaders, we should take our cue from them. Teams, coaches, players, spectators, football, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, they are all great unifiers in our country. It is disappointing to see players attacked in their effort to shed light on inequality in our neighborhoods.
We know division and inequality exists in our neighborhoods. We should be shining a light, as the gentleman from New Jersey just did, on how to change this and make it better.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Illinois (Ms. Kelly), someone who I have watched a great deal, and she just did a fantastic job over the weekend. I watched her in action.
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