Cynthia McKinney

Ms. McKINNEY

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Roemer]. (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Lewis].

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Meek].

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Cunningham].

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Hefner]. (Mr. HEFNER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio].

Ms. McKINNEY

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the President's position to uphold the arms embargo on Bosnia. As the world's leader we have the responsibility to uphold the principles of negotiated settlement and conflict resolution. By lifting the arms embargo, Mr. Chairman, we put 25,000 peacekeepers in danger, we become responsible for escalating the war, and we set the stage for a deeper, personal U.S. involvement in the conflict. A unilateral lifting of the embargo would drive our allies out of Bosnia and pull us in. It will place the responsibility for defining the mission in Bosnia squarely on our shoulders. Our leadership on this issue must be clear, unwavering, and forthright. The Serbs' assault in recent days makes it clear that we must strengthen UNPROFOR in consultation with our allies. A congressional passage of a unilateral arms lift at this delicate moment would undermine all efforts to shore up UNPROFOR and work in concert with our allies. A unilateral arms lift means unilateral responsibility for the United States. A unilateral arms lift, Mr. Chairman, will not be a quick fix. We must stand fast with our allies and with NATO. We must maintain our global responsibility to seek a negotiated settlement to pursue a peaceful resolution to the Bosnian crisis. We must support the President, our allies, and NATO. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on lifting the arms embargo on Bosnia.

Ms. McKINNEY. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Conyers]. (Mr. CONYERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Berman].

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Farr].

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy].

Ms. McKINNEY

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that further general debate on S. 21 be extended by 1 hour equally divided between the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations in the Committee of the Whole.

Ms. McKINNEY

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year while my colleague from Georgia was leading the Republicans in cutting school lunches, he managed to deflect some criticism by making a big deal out of a pet project, ``Earning by Learning.'' In Monday's Wall Street Journal, however, we learned exactly who was doing all the earning: it was none other than Mel Steely, a close friend of the Speaker and head of this program. According to the Wall Street Journal, 90 percent of the money that comes into ``Earning by Learning'' goes to Mr. Steely who is also authorized to write the official biography of Mr. Gingrich. Is this a new kind of child labor, by exploiting children's education as a way to take care of the Speaker's official biographer. Mr. Speaker, it is time the empire supporting my Georgia colleague's cult of personality be exposed for what it really is--a scam.

Ms. McKINNEY

Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, a little bit more than 30 years ago, the Republican Party put out a wanted poster, and the day after this poster was put out, our beloved President was assassinated. Well, old habits die hard. And so now we find that the Republican Party has once again put out a wanted poster. Now, what is it that they expect to happen to the good people who are on this wanted poster, people who are elected by 580,000 people sent here to do a job, and whose main business is to take care of their constituents back home and to make sure that this is indeed a kinder and gentler Nation. But when you put on a wanted poster black folks, women, Latinos, certain white males, and Jews, and you say that these are people who are aiding and abetting President Bill Clinton's big government, what are you really saying? What you are saying to me, it seems, is that there are too many black people in Congress, there are too many Jews in Congress. There are too many women out of the house, in this House, making public policy. And what is the result of this kind of racist, anti- Semitic, divisive politics? Something happens in the heartland of America, and I can tell you what happens in the heartland of America. I have received hate mail. This is just a sample of the hate mail that I receive: ``Save America. Nigger genocide.'' Some people do not even have any feelings. They will sign their name. This one says, ``You have a hell of a nerve trying to tell the Supreme Court what they can and cannot do. You lousy niggers.'' I have another one that says, ``Definition of a nigger: An extremely vile and heinous, fecal-colored, wild animal that inhabits America's concrete jungles and walks upright on its hind legs, attempting to mimic human behavior.'' Then another one here: ``Niggers destroy America.'' It seems that in the quiet of their homes, people find some kind of pleasure in using the word ``nigger.'' Well, you know, I have heard it all my life. It does not bother me. But some people get off using that word ``nigger.'' That is what happens when you try and divide a nation. That is what happens when you try and divide a country. And that is what happens when you put politics above all else and the bottom line above all else and above all people. American people are smart, though, and there is hope. I just received this letter from a young woman in Gainesville, FL. She said, ``Dear Congresswoman McKinney: I watched you this morning in regards to the idiotic poster the Republican party distributed labeled `Wanted liberals.' I realize your office has been under attack recently, due to the Supreme Court decision on redistricting and this most recent incident. As a young white female with all of the advantages of growing up in the upper middle-class neighborhood of Gwinnett County, GA, allow me to be the first to say thank you for speaking the truth. The forces trying to tear you apart are the same people who say that they are trying to protect what I have. I have a lovely home, I have a bright future, and I have a blessed life. I do not need protection for what I have. I need to know that other people will grant the opportunity to achieve what I take for granted.'' Mr. Speaker, I think the people get the point.

Ms. McKINNEY

Ms. McKINNEY. But you know, Congressman, I would also like to say something about this notion about districts are supposed to look a certain way, people are supposed to look a certain way. I have had a particular problem since I have been elected because I do not quite look the way most Members of Congress are supposed to look. Security guards stop me, elevator operators stop me, you name it, I have problems. I was stopped even last week because I do not look the way some folks think a Member of Congress is supposed to look. When we start judging by how we think folks are supposed to look or things are supposed to look, and then discriminating against them based on the fact that that does not quite look like what we think it ought to look like, the stereotype we have in our minds, then we really are engaging in something else that is very harmful, and that is what we want to avoid as well. So there is some preconceived idea, I guess, that a good district is a circular district, or maybe it is a square district, but it certainly cannot look like that district and be a good district. It can look like that district if it produces somebody who looks like the way a Member of Congress is supposed to look, but if that district produces somebody who looks like me and says I do not look like the kind of person who ought to be walking the Halls of Congress as a Member of Congress, then something is wrong with the district. Highly suspect reasoning.

Ms. McKINNEY. I commend the gentleman for his leadership on this very important issue, and I would also just like to commend you for being able to prevail in such a dark period of uncertainty when I know all of the clouds of doubt and sometimes a little bit of disappointment were trying to rain on your parade, but you were able to keep your head up high, maintain your dignity and continue to function, lead in this body. I appreciate your leadership. I appreciate your leadership on this issue, and I certainly appreciate the enduring friendship that we will have as a result of our time here together.

Ms. McKINNEY. There are 535 Members.

Ms. McKINNEY. The Nation's first Puerto Rican American Congresswoman.

Ms. McKINNEY. Absolutely.

Ms. McKINNEY. Based on shape.

Ms. McKINNEY. Looks like that district could be subject to a lawsuit.

Ms. McKINNEY. Discontinuity.

Ms. McKINNEY. Not 10 minutes of sleep.

Ms. McKINNEY. Two nights.

Ms. McKINNEY. What kind of mischief has the Supreme Court now made? Can you imagine the 50 States of the United States engaged in redistricting in the middle of the 10-year period? What kind of political chaos could result in something like that?