Date: 2014-11-17
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Thank you very much. Congressman JEFFRIES. I also thank in his absence the gentleman from Nevada. Congressman HORSFORD. The two of you have been almost inseparable when it comes to these Special Order hours. I want to compliment you on the outstanding job that you have done. I would also like to compliment Congressman HORSFORD for the outstanding job that he has done on the Financial Services Committee. He brought his talents. He brought his brilliance. and he has represented his constituents exceedingly well. and I know that in the annals of history. when they look back through the vista of time. it will be said that he served us well in the Congress of the United States of America. With reference to the relevant question of the hour. as it relates to a more perfect Union. as we ponder and query where we go from here. it was appropriate. I think. that you introduced this topic by referencing President Lincoln. It was appropriate because you are eminently correct. It was a time of great turmoil when he announced that he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation. and in January of 1863. when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. the country was in the midst of a Civil War. being torn apart. There was much to be said about his announcement that he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation. There was great debate. and there were many people who said that it should not be done. that it was not worth the paper it would be written on. to be quite candid with you. it was said. because it would only free the slaves in the States that had left the Union. States that. quite candidly. at the time. he had no control over. But he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. and I thank God that he did. because by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. he laid the foundation for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America that was in fact executed in But for the Emancipation Proclamation. I dont know that I would be standing here in the Congress of the United States of America tonight. By issuing that Emancipation Proclamation. he changed the course of history. Dr. King was right. "The arc of the moral universe is long. but it bends towards justice." However. it doesnt do it on its own accord. It takes the hand of man and women to bend it. so I am pleased that he did so. I am also pleased that there was another opportunity for a President to forge a more perfect Union. President Harry Truman had the opportunity in 1948 to issue an executive order. as was the case with Lincoln and the executive order for the Emancipation Proclamation. He issued an executive order to desegregate the military. There was much to be said about it. In fact. that executive order led to the birth of the Dixiecrats. There was a split in the Democratic Party because the Honorable Harry Truman decided that he would issue Executive Order 9981. to desegregate the military. He issued it. the military was desegregated. and I contend that this was also one of the many reasons why the country itself moved along to desegregation and integration. These were two outstanding and wellnoted executive orders issued by Presidents of the United States. If President Lincoln could issue an executive orderan Emancipation Proclamationif Harry Truman could issue an executive orderto desegregate the militarysurely. President Barack Obama can issue an executive order to liberate many people who are living in the shadows of life. an immigration declaration. if you will. I believe the President should issue this order. notwithstanding all that is being" said. There was much being said and much being done when Lincoln issued his executive order. much said and much being done when Truman issued his. much said and much being done now. but I think the President should do this. and I think he should be bold when he does it because he will be lifting people out of the shadows of life. I am confident that while many will be angry with him. God will not. I think God will smile on the President for issuing this executive order. More than 15.000 executive orders have been issued. Not one President has ever been impeached for issuing an executive order. not one. There is talk of impeaching President Obama. If we didnt impeach Lincoln and we didnt impeach Truman and we didnt impeach Reagan and we didnt impeach many of the other Presidents who have signed the more than 15.000 executive orders. I dont think that we ought to impeach President Obama. Finally this. as an aside: there is much talk about the Presidents legacy and what he has done to form a more perfect Union while being President. if you will. but all of this talk about his legacy misses the mark. in my opinion. because there are many who think that the Affordable Care Act will be the centerpiece of his legacy. I think it is a great piece of legislation. I supported it. I still support it. There are many who think that saving the auto industry would be his legacy. I think this is significant. exceedingly so. I supported what he did. There are others who believe that his work in human rights and human dignity. especially as it relates for equal pay for equal work for women. will be his legacy. I think it is a great piece of work. and I commend him for what he has done. But the Presidents legacy in the eons to come will be that he became President of the United States of America. The mere fact that the Honorable Barack Obama was elected not once. but twice. speaks to our efforts to form a more perfect Union. I think that his greatest legacy will be his having served as President of the United States of America. That fact alone will be something that we will never. ever erase from history. I thank you for the opportunity to visit with you. and I pray that the President will be bold and sign the executive order. will lead with the executive order that may lead to comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship for those who are living in the shadows of life. God bless you.