August 2, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5639 

fact, took place before the committee 

commenced its inquiry. 

I did at the very beginning of the 

committee’s preliminary inquiry suggest—and, Mr. Chairman, I think this 

is very important—I acknowledge the 

Statement of Alleged Violations. In 

fact, much of what has been said today 

has been, in fact, true. 

But what I want to make emphatically clear and what I want to emphasize is that I have never taken or 

threatened any action against any 

staffer who did not volunteer to work 

on my campaign. 

There is no doubt that a number of 

staff felt compelled or coerced to do so. 

That was not my intent, and I deeply 

regret that this occurred. And because 

I want to make sure it is very clear to 

the committee, I will repeat that statement. There is no doubt that a number 

of staff felt compelled or coerced to do 

so, and that was not my intent, and I 

deeply do regret that this occurred. I 

never told any staff member that they 

would be out of a job if they did not 

work on the campaign. And it is undisputed that I was not present at the 

staff meeting at which time the statement was made. 

With that context and these clarifications, Mr. Speaker, I respectfully 

ask that my colleagues refer, as was 

stated by the committee, to my public 

reference to this matter, my statement 

of views, which are included in the report. 

As I conclude, Mr. Chairman and 

Ranking Member, I look forward to the 

resolution of this matter. In fact, I 

have sought the resolution of this matter for well over a year. 

b 0950 

And I have agreed to the items that 

were set forward; however, some of the 

details that were said in the language 

that was said today was not what had 

been discussed. And so, for the record, 

I wanted to clarify that. 

With that, I reserve the balance of 

my time. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman may not reserve her time. 

The time is controlled by the gentleman from Alabama. 

Ms. LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 

time as I may consume. 

I just feel it is important to point out 

several important issues that were 

raised by Ms. RICHARDSON in her comments on the floor today. 

Much of what she has stated on the 

floor today was included in the views 

that she filed after reviewing the report that was issued. She raised these 

points in her views of the report. And I 

feel compelled to add that the committee took those views very seriously, 

and they responded and refuted those 

points in its response to her views, 

which is all included in the report 

which has been made publicly available. 

Everything that has been stated on 

the floor today by any Member, but 

most especially Mr. DENT, are statements that are already included in the 

report to which Representative RICHARDSON has responded. And again, 

many of the points that she raised we 

investigated, took very seriously, and 

included in response to those views. 

I don’t think that there is anything 

further to add other than she has been 

given an opportunity to voice her concerns at every step of the process, and 

we have scrupulously adhered to a 

process to try to take her views and 

her suggestions into account and we 

have arrived at the report which is 

unanimously agreed on by all of the 

committee members. 

I reserve the balance of my time. 

Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I’m prepared to close if the ranking member 

has no further speakers. 

Ms. LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ of California. I yield back the balance of my 

time. 

Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to once again thank members of the committee, as well as members of the pool, for their tremendous 

service that they render to this institution. And on behalf of the entire House, 

I want to again thank the nonpartisan, 

professional committee staff for their 

extraordinary hard work and commitment to the House of Representatives 

and to the American people that we all 

serve. 

As it is often noted on the floor, especially during somber moments like 

this, public office is a public trust. And 

for the vast majority of Members who 

have been honored with the opportunity, the privilege to serve in this, 

the people’s House, there is an 

unspoken duty to hold ourselves up to 

a higher standard. 

Unfortunately, as Representative 

RICHARDSON has admitted, she did not 

live up to that higher standard. And as 

such, she did a disservice to her staff, 

to her colleagues. And while it is ultimately up to her constituents in California to be the final judge of her actions, I think it is safe to say she did a 

disservice to the hardworking taxpayers from all corners of this country 

who expect and deserve more from 

their elected leaders. 

Throughout the course of this matter, the investigative subcommittee 

heard desperate, sometimes emotional 

pleas for help from members of Representative RICHARDSON’s staff. Representative DENT has shared at least 

one of the stories with the body today. 

And even since word first broke yesterday of this resolution this morning, the 

committee has received calls from 

other staffers thanking us for bringing 

this matter to a public resolution. 

As a former Hill staffer myself, I 

have great respect for those staffers 

who were willing to come to the Ethics 

Committee with their stories and 

heartfelt concerns. That is not an easy 

thing to do against a Member of Congress, particularly when that person 

claims to be your boss and you’re made 

to feel that your job is in jeopardy. At 

the end of the day, however, we must 

remember and never forget that the 

real employer for us all are the American people. 

I was particularly moved by one of 

Representative RICHARDSON’s former 

staffers who testified: 

This certainly should not be an example as 

to the way an elected official for this country should conduct themselves under any circumstance. 

And, Mr. Speaker, I am simply 

haunted by the statement of another 

staffer that Mr. DENT referenced, a 

lady who was part of the Wounded Warrior program, someone who was willing 

to risk her life in service to her country, and ended up coming home a disabled veteran. She told the committee, 

and it bears repeating: 

It is sad to say that I would rather be at 

war in Afghanistan than work under people 

who are morally corrupt. 

Mr. Speaker, while some might prefer a harsher sentence, perhaps a few 

might even think a reprimand is too 

severe, I urge my colleagues to support 

the unanimous recommendation of the 

only evenly divided committee in this 

House of Representatives. 

And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without 

objection, the previous question is ordered. 

There was no objection. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

question is on the resolution. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

A motion to reconsider was laid on 

the table. 

GENERAL LEAVE

Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask 

unanimous consent that all Members 

may have 5 legislative days in which to 

revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 

755. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there 

objection to the request of the gentleman from Alabama? 

There was no objection. 

f 

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE 

A message from the Senate by Ms. 

Curtis, one of its clerks, announced 

that the Senate has passed without 

amendment bills of the House of the 

following titles. 

H.R. 1369. An act to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located 

at 1021 Pennsylvania Avenue in Hartshorne, 

Oklahoma, as the ‘‘Warren Lindley Post Office’’. 

H.R. 1560. An act to amend the Ysleta del 

Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act to 

allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to determine blood quantum requirement for 

membership in that tribe. 

H.R. 3276. An act to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located 

at 2810 East Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa, 

Florida, as the ‘‘Reverend Abe Brown Post 

Office Building’’. 

H.R. 3412. An act to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located 

at 1421 Veterans Memorial Drive in Abbeville, Louisiana, as the ‘‘Sergeant Richard 

Franklin Abshire Post Office Building’’. 


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H5640 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE August 2, 2012 

H.R. 3501. An act to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located 

at 125 Kerr Avenue in Rome City, Indiana, as 

the ‘‘SPC Nicholas Scott Hartge Post Office’’. 

H.R. 3772. An act to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located 

at 150 South Union Street in Canton, Mississippi, as the ‘‘First Sergeant Landres 

Cheeks Post Office Building’’. 

The message also announced that the 

Senate has passed a bill and agreed to 

a joint resolution of the following titles in which the concurrence of the 

House is requested: 

S. 1409. An act to intensify efforts to identify, prevent, and recover payment error, 

waste, fraud, and abuse within Federal 

spending. 

S.J. Res. 49. Joint resolution providing for 

the appointment of Barbara Barrett as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the 

Smithsonian Institution. 

The message also announced that the 

Senate agreed to the amendment of the 

House to the amendment of the Senate 

to the bill (H.R. 1905) ‘‘An Act to 

strengthen Iran sanctions laws for the 

purpose of compelling Iran to abandon 

its pursuit of nuclear weapons and 

other threatening activities, and for 

other purposes.’’. 

f 

RECESS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair 

declares the House in recess for a period less than 15 minutes. 

Accordingly (at 9 o’clock and 56 minutes a.m.), the House stood in recess. 

f 

b 1005 

AFTER RECESS 

The recess having expired, the House 

was called to order by the Speaker pro 

tempore (Mr. WOMACK) at 10 o’clock 

and 5 minutes a.m. 

f 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER 

PRO TEMPORE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair 

will postpone further proceedings 

today on motions to suspend the rules 

on which a recorded vote or the yeas 

and nays are ordered, or on which the 

vote incurs objection under clause 6 of 

rule XX. 

Record votes on postponed questions 

will be taken later. 

f 

EXTENDING CERTAIN TRADE 

PROGRAMS 

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I move to 

suspend the rules and pass the bill 

(H.R. 5986) to amend the African 

Growth and Opportunity Act to extend 

the third-country fabric program and 

to add South Sudan to the list of countries eligible for designation under that 

Act, to make technical corrections to 

the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

United States relating to the textile 

and apparel rules of origin for the Dominican Republic-Central AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement, 

to approve the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese 

Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, 

and for other purposes. 

The Clerk read the title of the bill. 

The text of the bill is as follows: 

H.R. 5986 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in 

Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO AFRICAN GROWTH 

AND OPPORTUNITY ACT. 

(a) EXTENSION OF THIRD-COUNTRY FABRIC

PROGRAM.—Section 112(c)(1) of the African 

Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 

3721(c)(1)) is amended— 

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2015’’; 

(2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2015’’; and 

(3) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2015’’. 

(b) ADDITION OF SOUTH SUDAN.—Section 107 

of that Act (19 U.S.C. 3706) is amended by inserting after ‘‘Republic of South Africa 

(South Africa).’’ the following: 

‘‘Republic of South Sudan (South 

Sudan).’’. 

(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

102(2) of that Act (19 U.S.C. 3701(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘48’’. 

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments 

made by this section shall take effect on the 

date of the enactment of this Act. 

SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO TEXTILE AND APPAREL RULES OF ORIGIN FOR THE 

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-CENTRAL 

AMERICA-UNITED STATES FREE 

TRADE AGREEMENT. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Agreement’’ 

has the meaning given the term in section 

3(1) of the Dominican Republic-Central 

America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 109– 

53; 19 U.S.C. 4002(1)). 

(2) CAFTA–DR COUNTRY.—The term 

‘‘CAFTA–DR country’’ has the meaning 

given the term in section 3(2) of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States 

Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act 

(Public Law 109–53; 19 U.S.C. 4002(2)). 

(3) HTS.—The term ‘‘HTS’’ means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 

States. 

(4) TRADE REPRESENTATIVE.—The term 

‘‘Trade Representative’’ means the United 

States Trade Representative. 

(b) MODIFICATIONS TO THE TEXTILE AND APPAREL RULES OF ORIGIN.— 

(1) INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF

RULES OF ORIGIN.—Subdivision (m)(viii) of 

general note 29 of the HTS is amended as follows: 

(A) The matter following subdivision (A)(2) 

is amended by striking the second sentence 

and inserting the following: ‘‘Any elastomeric yarn (except latex) contained in the 

originating yarns referred to in subdivision 

(A)(2) must be formed in the territory of one 

or more of the parties to the Agreement.’’. 

(B) Subdivision (B) is amended— 

(i) in the matter preceding subdivision 

(B)(1), by striking ‘‘exclusive of collars and 

cuffs where applicable,’’ and inserting ‘‘exclusive of collars, cuffs and ribbed waistbands (only if the ribbed waistband is 

present in combination with cuffs and identical in fabric construction to the cuffs) 

where applicable,’’; 

(ii) in subdivision (B)(2), by inserting ‘‘or 

knit to shape components’’ after ‘‘one or 

more fabrics’’; 

(iii) by amending subdivision (B)(3) to read 

as follows: 

‘‘(3) any combination of the fabrics referred to in subdivision (B)(1), the fabrics or 

knit to shape components referred to in subdivision (B)(2), or one or more fabrics or knit 

to shape components originating under this 

note.’’; and 

(iv) in the matter following subdivision 

(B)(3), by striking the last sentence and inserting the following: ‘‘Any elastomeric yarn 

(except latex) contained in an originating 

fabric or knit to shape component referred to 

in subdivision (B)(3) must be formed in the 

territory of one or more of the parties to the 

Agreement.’’. 

(C) Subdivision (C) is amended— 

(i) in subdivision (C)(2), by inserting ‘‘or 

knit to shape components’’ after ‘‘one or 

more fabrics’’; 

(ii) by amending subdivision (C)(3) to read 

as follows: 

‘‘(3) any combination of the fabrics referred to in subdivision (C)(1), the fabrics or 

knit to shape components referred to in subdivision (C)(2) or one or more fabrics or knit 

to shape components originating under this 

note.’’; and 

(iii) in the matter following subdivision 

(C)(3), by striking the second sentence and 

inserting the following: ‘‘Any elastomeric 

yarn (except latex) contained in an originating fabric or knit to shape component referred to in subdivision (C)(3) must be formed 

in the territory of one or more of the parties 

to the Agreement.’’. 

(2) CHANGE IN TARIFF CLASSIFICATION

RULES.—Subdivision (n) of general note 29 of 

the HTS is amended as follows: 

(A) Chapter rule 4 to chapter 61 is amended— 

(i) by striking ‘‘5401 or 5508’’ and inserting 

‘‘5401, or 5508 or yarn of heading 5402 used as 

sewing thread,’’; and 

(ii) by inserting ‘‘or yarn’’ after ‘‘only if 

such sewing thread’’. 

(B) The chapter rules to chapter 61 are 

amended by inserting after chapter rule 5 the 

following: 

‘‘Chapter rule 6: Notwithstanding chapter 

rules 1, 3, 4 or 5 to this chapter, an apparel 

good of chapter 61 shall be considered originating regardless of the origin of any visible 

lining fabric described in chapter rule 1 to 

this chapter, narrow elastic fabrics as described in chapter rule 3 to this chapter, sewing thread or yarn of heading 5402 used as 

sewing thread described in chapter rule 4 to 

this chapter or pocket bag fabric described in 

chapter rule 5 to this chapter, provided such 

material is listed in U.S. note 20 to subchapter XXII of chapter 98 and the good 

meets all other applicable requirements for 

preferential tariff treatment under this 

note.’’. 

(C) Chapter rules 3, 4, and 5 to chapter 62 

are each amended by striking ‘‘nightwear’’ 

each place it appears and inserting 

‘‘sleepwear’’. 

(D) Chapter rule 4 to chapter 62 is amended— 

(i) by striking ‘‘5401 or 5508’’ and inserting 

‘‘5401, or 5508 or yarn of heading 5402 used as 

sewing thread,’’; and 

(ii) by inserting ‘‘or yarn’’ after ‘‘only if 

such sewing thread’’. 

(E) The chapter rules to chapter 62 are 

amended by inserting after chapter rule 5 the 

following: 

‘‘Chapter rule 6: Notwithstanding chapter 

rules 1, 3, 4 or 5 to this chapter, an apparel 

good of chapter 62 shall be considered originating regardless of the origin of any visible 

lining fabric described in chapter rule 1 to 

this chapter, narrow elastic fabrics as described in chapter rule 3 to this chapter, sewing thread or yarn of heading 5402 used as 

sewing thread described in chapter rule 4 to 

this chapter or pocket bag fabric described in 


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