TRANSCRIPT

Hoyer Addresses the Abuses of Iraqi Prisoners and the Weeks Light Legislative Schedule
May 11, 2004

THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND, MR. HOYER. MR. HOYER: THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR FIVE MINUTES. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. HOYER: I THANK THE SPEAKER. MR. SPEAKER, BEFORE I DISCUSS THE LEGISLATION THAT WE WILL BE CONSIDERING ON THE FLOOR THIS WEEK, I WANT TO COMMENT BRIEFLY ON THE CONTINUING REVELATIONS ABOUT THE ABUSE OF IRAQI DETAINEES IN AMERICAN CUSTODY AND THE NEED FOR VIGOROUS CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMMITTEE HEARINGS. I COULD NOT DISAGREE WITH MY FRIEND, THE MAJORITY LEADER, MORE WHEN HE SAYS THE IDEA OF A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION IS LIKE, AND I QUOTE, SAYING WE NEED AN INVESTIGATION EVERY TIME THERE IS POLICE BRUTALITY ON THE STREET. THE ABUSE OF IRAQI DETAINEES, AS WE ARE LEARNING, IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT ISOLATED. RESPONSIBILITY EXTENDS UP AND DOWN THE MILITARY CHAIN OF COMMAND. WE MUST NOT ABDICATE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AS AN INDEPENDENT, CO-EQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, AS SOME MEMBERS OF THE OTHER BODY HAVE STATED. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER IS QUOTED TODAY AS SAYING THE SENATE WILL CONTINUE TO DO ITS DUTY. WE HAD SEVERAL HEARINGS LAST WEEK. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE WATCH ON THE UNFOLDING SITUATION. IN FACT, THEY'RE HAVING HEARINGS THIS WEEK. THIS SHOCKING EPISODE DEMANDS A FULL AND OPEN INQUIRY. IT DEMANDS A BIPARTISAN APPROACH. I URGE THE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP TO WORK WITH THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE IN GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THESE ABUSES AND HOLDING THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE AND ENSTHAURG IT NEVER -- ENSURING THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. THE WORLD EXPECTS NO LESS, AND WE SHOULD EXPECT NO LESS OURSELVES. NOW, MR. SPEAKER, WHILE THE OTHER BODY EXERCISES VIGOROUS OVERSIGHT, THIS BODY WILL CONSIDER A REPUBLICAN BILL THAT WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE THE BUDGET DEFICIT, WHICH IS PROJECTED AT MORE THAN HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR ALONE. AND THREE HEALTH CARE BILLS THAT WOULD DO VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO HELP THE UNINSURED. THIS REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IS NOT RESPONDING TO AMERICA'S NEEDS. WE CAN, WE MUST, WE MUST DO BETTER. THE REPUBLICAN BILL TO MAKE THE 10% INCOME TAX BRACKET PERMANENT COULD WIN OVERWHELMING, PERHAPS UNANIMOUS SUPPORT IF IT WERE PAID FOR. INSTEAD, IT WOULD ADD AN ESTIMATED $218 BILLION TO THE NATIONAL DEBT. OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL PAY THAT DEBT. THE DEMOCRATIC SUBSTITUTE IN CONTRAST IS PAID FOR. UNFORTUNATELY, REPUBLICAN LEADERS BELIEVE THAT TAX CUTS ARE A FREEBIE. IN FACT, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE, MR. NUSSLE, SAID IN MARCH, AND I QUOTE, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR TAX CUTS. IT'S THAT MATHEMATICALLY CHALLENGED PHILOSOPHY, THAT DENIAL OF REALITY, THAT CONTINUES TO STALL NEGOTIATIONS ON THE 2005 BUDGET. HOUSE REPUBLICANS REFUSE TO PAY FOR TAX CUTS. HOUSE DEMOCRATS, A BIPARTISAN MAJORITY OF THE SENATE, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE, MR. GREENSPAN, FULLY SUPPORT PAY-AS-YOU-GO BUDGET RULES. IN FACT, IF MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS MISSED THE COMMENT OF CHAIRMAN GREENSPAN LAST WEEK, LET ME REPEAT IT. HE SAID, AND I QUOTE, THE FREE LUNCH HAS STILL NOT BEEN INVENTED. THIS WEEK THE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP WILL ALSO PUT THREE HEALTH CARE BILLS ON THE FLOOR, APPARENTLY IN RECOGNITION OF COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK. TODAY IN AMERICA, THE RICHEST, MOST POWERFUL NATION ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, 44 MILLION AMERICANS DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THAT FIGURE HAS INCREASED BY FOUR MILLION SINCE PRESIDENT BUSH TOOK OFFICE. YET NONE OF THE REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE BILLS DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THIS GROWING PROBLEM. WE HAVE ALREADY PASSED TWO OF THESE THREE BILLS ON MEDICAL LIABILITY AND ASSOCIATED HEALTH PLANS ALMOST IN EXACTLY THE SAME FORM, SO WE ARE SIMPLY REPEATING THAT WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY DONE, PRESUMABLY FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES AS OPPOSED TO SUBSTANTIVE. AND THIRD, ON FLEXIBLE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, WOULD MOSTLY BENEFIT THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY INSURED. HOUSE DEMOCRATS, BY COMPARISON, WILL INTRODUCE THREE HEALTH CARE BILLS THIS WEEK THAT TOGETHER WOULD PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR MORE THAN HALF OF THE 44 MILLION UNINSURED. THESE BILLS ARE AIMED AT THREE GROWING GROUPS OF INSURED, THOSE WITH LOW INCOME, RETIREES, AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE SELF-EMPLOYED. I SAY TO MY FRIENDS ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, OUR CONSTITUENTS DID NOT SEND US HERE TO PRETEND TO LEGISLATE. TO REPEATEDLY PASS LEGISLATION SO THAT IT COULD GO TO THE SENATE. THEY SENT US HERE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND FULFILL OUR DUTY. THIS WEEK THERE IS AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE DOING NEITHER. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM NORTH CAROLINA, MR. COBLE, FOR FIVE MINUTES. MR. COBLE: I THANK THE SPEAKER. MR. SPEAKER, THE INFAMOUS IRAQI PRISON PHOTOGRAPHS WITH WHICH WE ARE SO FAMILIAR PORTRAY DEPLORABLE SCENES FOR WHICH WE WILL APOLOGIZE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THESE INAPPROPRIATE PRACTICES OCCURRED, BUT I AM FURTHERMORE CONCERNED REGARDING THE DOUBLE STANDARDS THAT MANY COUNTRIES APPLY REGARDING TERRORISM, AND I WILL DISCUSS THAT IN DETAIL. MUCH ATTENTION HAS BEEN DIRECTED, MR. SPEAKER, AGAINST AMERICA REGARDING THE IRAQI PRISON MATTER, BUT COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING LITTLE HAS BEEN EXPRESSED AGAINST THE TERRORISTS. WHO WILL APOLOGIZE OR EXPRESS CONCERN FOR THE 9-11 ATTACK AND THE 3,000 INNOCENT LIVES LOST? WHO WILL APOLOGIZE FOR THE FIRST ATTACK TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND SUBSEQUENT ATTACKS UPON OUR EMBASSIES AND THE U.S.S. COLE? WHO WILL APOLOGIZE FOR THE RECENT DEADLY EXPLOSION IN SPAIN? WHO WILL APOLOGIZE REGARDING HOSTAGES WHO WERE MUTILATED AND HANGED FROM A BRIDGE WHILE ONLOOKERS GLEEFULLY APPLAUDED AND LAUGHED OBSCENELY? THESE QUESTIONS ARE RHETORICAL, MR. SPEAKER, BECAUSE NO APOLOGIES ARE FORTHCOMING AND MANY DON'T APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. I AM TOLD THAT THE MAJORITY OF IRAQIS WANTED SADDAM REMOVED FROM POWER, BUT THEY WERE UNWILLING AND ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING THE JOB THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY FEARED SADDAM AND KNEW THE PAIN AND TORTURE HE WAS CAPABLE OF INFLICTING UPON THEM. INCIDENTALLY, MR. SPEAKER, SADDAM'S RAPE ROOMS ARE NO LONGER OPEN FOR BUSINESS. NOR ARE SADDAM'S TORTURE CHAMBERS. WHY DO WE HEAR NOTHING ABOUT THE RAPE ROOMS AND TORTURE CHAMBERS BEING SHUT DOWN. THEY HAVE SHUT DOWN BECAUSE NORTH KOREA, GREAT BRITAIN, AND COALITION MEMBERS -- NORTH AMERICA AND GREAT BRITAIN AND COALITION MEMBERS SHUT IT DOWN. SOME IN IRAQ EMBRACE US AS LIBERATORS WHILE OTHERS, INCLUDING TERRORISTS FROM BEYOND IRAQ, REJECT US AS OCCUPIERS. THE CLOSER IRAQ APPROACHES FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, THE MORE IMPEDIMENTS AND BARRIERS THE TERRORISTS WILL ERECT. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS HANDED OVER TO THE IRAQI COUNCIL ON 30 JUNE, MANY HAVE DECLARED ALL THE -- OH, THE AMERICANS MUST NEVER LEAVE BECAUSE CIVIL UNRESUME ERUPT. WELL, I AGREE. WE CANNOT ABRUPTLY DEPART. BUT IRAQ NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE ON 30 JUNE. MR. SPEAKER, THERE'S AN EXPRESSION UTTERED IN THE RURAL SOUTH TO INDICATE APPROPRIATE TIMING. THIS EXPRESSION IS CALLED, HIGH TIME. SO I SAY TODAY IT IS HIGH TIME FOR IRAQ TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND EXPRESS A WILLINGNESS TO GOVERN AND STAND UP TO TERRORISM. IF THEY WANT US TO LEAVE, THEY CAN SHOW THE WORLD THEY ARE CAPABLE OF GOVERNING RESPONSIBLY. THEY CAN SHOW THE WORLD THEY HAVE THE FORTITUDE TO AVOID INTIMIDATION BY TERRORISTS AND THE EVIL PRACTICES THEY DISPENSE. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT AMERICA BECOME THE RIDGED INFLEXIBLE, FULLY SUPPORTIVE ROD FOR THE IRAQI SPINE OR BACKBONE, BUT RATHER SERVE AS A BRACE OR SPLINT TO PERMIT AND ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENT FUNCTION. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT DAY WILL COME, MR. SPEAKER. I PRAY IT WILL BE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. I THANK THE SPEAKER.