[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 18, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1768-H1769] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-18
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. COHEN: I am the only Democrat Congressperson from Tennessee, so in some ways I represent the entire State on issues of concern to Democrats and people of progress. Tennessee and New York, unfortunately, have been shameful in their conduct recently in the way they relate to government and in the lack of the way they relate to meaningful gun reform to protect our citizens from mass shootings. In Tennessee there was the Tennessee Three. Three legislators who went tothe well to protest the fact that after a murder, a terrorist act killing six citizens at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, there was no response from the supermajority Republicans in the general assembly, nor at the time from the Republican Governor. They went to the well, while the galleries were full of people protesting the lax gun reform laws or gun laws in Tennessee, to protest and say, we should have some gun laws to protect our children and to protect people all over our country who are victims of mass shootings. They expelled two of the members and tried to expel three for simply raising an issue that otherwise would not be raised by a supermajority and that was favored by a majority of the people in Tennessee by far-- red flag laws. No more weapons of war should be sold, the weapons that people used to do mass shootings at Covenant Presbyterian Church; in Louisville, at the bank; and almost everywhere where there are mass shootings in this country. That was shameful for the Tennessee General Assembly to try to expel three and to expel two, and not to take up gun reform. Governor Lee later took up gun reform and said he was for red flag laws, but a red flag law was proposed this week, and it didn't even get a motion or a second. In New York, the House Judiciary Committee adjourned to New York, a recess there, to have a hearing yesterday allegedly concerning a State official, the DA, Mr. Bragg, and his record that they call pro-crime and anti-victim. What they really went to New York to do was to act as Donald Trump's public relations firm and defense firm, something the United States Congress is not empowered to do for any individual. They are not empowered to go into another jurisdiction where federalization laws say that the States have their own prosecutors, and the Federal Government is not supposed to go in and ask for information that they can then give to the defense, and attack Mr. Bragg. The facts were well-pointed out that New York is a safe city, and safer than most of the major cities in Mr. Jordan's State of Ohio. They attacked Mr. Bragg and said he was supported by George Soros. What does that have in common with Tennessee? The people they went after were minorities. Mr. Bragg, the first African-American-elected DA in the borough of Manhattan and in Tennessee the two youngest members of the general assembly who happened to be African American, a minority group by far in Tennessee and the Tennessee General Assembly. They accused Mr. Bragg of being supported by George Soros, which he was. We know that is a trope for anti-Semitism. They go after a minority religion, a minority DA, and try to appeal to their base and try to help Donald Trump. That is shameful, as well. Shame on the Judiciary Committee of this House. Shame on the General Assembly of Tennessee. Do your job. Protect your citizens. Pass meaningful laws to restrict weapons of war and impose red flag laws, so we can stop people from committing crimes--mass murders in this country, which have become too commonplace. Let's uplift our political dialogue to where we don't attack minorities to get away with obfuscating our real purpose, which is supporting Donald Trump, who committed two of the worst crimes in this country: one, trying to steal the 2020 election and telling people it was a steal, fraudulently, and getting campaign contributions; and, two, in 2016--if Mr. Bragg is right--covering up payments to a porn star to win the 2016 election illegally. Madam Speaker, the worst crime in New York was 9/11. Then there was the Central Park Five. Five Black youths who were alleged and convicted of killing a jogger in Central Park. This was back, I think, in the 20th century. Mr. Trump took out full-page newspaper ads in three papers and said all of those five should get the death penalty. They got sentences, they didn't get the death penalty. Later they were exonerated, and it was shown that somebody else committed the crimes--but not after they spent 41 years in prison, an average of 8 years a piece, and not after the State had to pay $41 million for their time in prison. Did Donald Trump apologize? No, he doesn't apologize. Shameful.