Raising A Question of the Privileges of the House

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker:

``Cowardice asks the question, `Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, `Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, `Is it popular?' But conscience asks the question, `Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the courage, the character, and the great decency of the Honorable Congressman Al Green for saying what is right, when there are many amongst us that have cowardice that have seemed to have lost their backbone and spine to call out untruths.

Mr. Speaker, he is a man that is standing up for those who are poor, who are left out, who have been left behind, a man that is standing up for Medicaid and Medicare. As we sit here and talk about some of this pious irrelevancy and sanctimonious trivialities, this man should be heralded and stand up for his decency, for his courage for standing up for the poor, for the least of these.

There is a theological problem in this institution when we are more kind to those who are rich and powerful than those who are poor, when we are talking about balancing the budget off the backs of those who need healthcare, who need housing, who need food assistance, to give tax breaks to the rich.

Once again, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in celebrating the Honorable Congressman Al Green.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source