Liberty and Justice for All

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise, with my mnemonic notes in hand.

Mr. Speaker, I rise because I love my country, but I also rise today with heartfelt regrets.

Mr. Speaker, it hurts my heart to see the Judiciary Committee hearing experts on the topic of impeachment, one of the seminal issues of this Congress, hearing experts, Mr. Speaker, and not one person of color among the experts.

What subliminal message are we sending to the world when we have experts, but not one person of color? Are we saying that there are no people of color who are experts on this topic of impeachment? What is the message that we are sending?

Mr. Speaker, if I am wrong, I will apologize; but if the committee is wrong, if the Congress is wrong, what will it do?

Mr. Speaker, people of color, for too long, have been ignored by one party and taken for granted by the other. Too often this happens. Not always, but too often it happens.

Mr. Speaker, I refuse to be ignored and taken for granted. I came here to represent the people who are ignored and taken for granted. Not one person of color among the constitutional scholars.

It seems that there is a desire among some to have the output of people of color without input from the people of color.

It seems to me that we have reached a point wherein we have got to have this debate about what these committees are going to do when we have our various persons appear before us as witnesses. We ought to have balance as it relates to all aspects of society, and that would include people of color.

So, Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great regret. I rise today to say that this is not about Democrats; it is not about Republicans. It is about fairness.

It is about whether or not we have matured to the point in this country where we are going to treat all people equally.

It is about whether we have metamorphosed to a point where we will not allow committees to have persons appear without considering the diversity and the richness of that diversity within this country.

I support people of color. I do so not because I am a person of color. I do so because I believe that, in this country, the words of the Pledge of Allegiance are important, that we should have liberty and justice for all.

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