Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this is the first occasion I have had to speak in the well of the House, and I do not expect to ever have an opportunity to speak on a more important issue on a more important occasion.

I keep in my office a picture of my uncle who was liberated from an axis prison camp in August 1945 after spending over 3 years in enemy captivity. He is surrounded by another group of brave Americans, and I keep that picture to remind me of the sacrifices people paid so that we have an opportunity to come here and debate and argue and discuss the great issues of the day.

I often asked my uncle when I was growing up if he ever thought that he would be left behind or forgotten. He told me never, that he knew no American would ever leave another American in captivity. I knew some day my fellows would come for me.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure those brave men and women in captivity tonight that their country has not forgotten them. We will come for them. We will make sure that they come home safe, sound and free.

I also want to join the Members in this House in warning their captors that if they are not treated with respect and with the dignity that they not only deserve but that we extend to our enemies in this particular conflict, there will be a terrific price to pay in terms of being war criminals.

Finally, I want to say how proud I am to be in this body at this moment, where we have differences occasionally on policy, even this policy; but we have absolutely no difference when it comes to our regard for the men and women in uniform that serve and protect us, and absolutely no difference in our determination to reach out to them to protect them and to see that they are dealt with fairly when they are in captivity and they come home safely.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is a great pleasure to be with my good friend, the distinguished Member from Florida. I did not come here with prepared remarks and certainly I do not pretend to be able to match the eloquence of my good friend, the gentlewoman from Michigan, or the gentleman from Colorado; but I came because I was compelled, listening to the debate and having watched the debate over many days, to express my solidarity and my sentiments about the great injustice that I feel is being done here.

This is the ultimate expression of politics over principle. And what kind of principles are at stake? The principle first of merit. There is no question about Miguel Estrada's merit. He is a jurist of outstanding quality and a lawyer of distinguished accomplishment, someone who Members of both parties have recognized for his individual brilliance. This is a triumph over the principle of diversity. It is a good thing in a diverse country to have a diverse bench, to have people of different backgrounds, with a common faith and belief in this country but representing different cultural and different racial and different ethnic traditions to occupy important positions.

It is the triumph of politics over the principle ultimately of fair play, the most fundamental American principle of all, the right to have a vote, the right to be heard, the right for a decision to be made. It is unfortunate. And it is the triumph of politics over the principle of bipartisanship, as my good friend from Florida has pointed out. There are Democrats and Republicans of good will, of differing philosophies, of differing points of view but united in their belief that Miguel Estrada is a person of outstanding integrity, of great ability and as deserving of the position to which the President has nominated him.

I reflect back, Mr. Speaker, on what might have happened had similar things occurred when Colin Powell was nominated for his position as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, an action which takes approval, of what might have happened when our distinguished national security adviser was chosen for her respective position. Questions were not raised then about them, what their political philosophy might be, because they were people of outstanding character and outstanding ability. Their appointment to the posts which they both currently hold is an indication of respect on both sides of the aisle for their ability.

I think in this case again we are seeing an individual punished not on the basis of merit, not on the basis even of philosophy directly but on the off chance that he might be a conservative. Certainly he is not being punished simply because he is a Hispanic. I would hope not, and I would certainly expect not. I would not attribute that motive to any of those who oppose him. But there is a sort of subtle double standard here in terms of you have to be the right kind of Hispanic. You have to believe in the right set of principles in order to occupy a position of trust and responsibility in the United States. That is simply inappropriate.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, I have a Native American heritage. Many of the people in the tribe to which I belong are historically Democrat. But frankly they supported me because they thought I had the ability to represent their views and their point of view. That is in essence what is at stake here, whether or not we will discriminate or stand idly by and watch someone discriminated against simply because they hold a view which a minority of people think might be unpopular but which the majority in this country clearly support.

I want to thank the gentleman from Florida again for taking on this fight, for waging it so diligently and for mobilizing so much support on behalf of not just an individual but on behalf of the defense of fundamental American principles.