Jamie Raskin

Mr. RASKIN

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 996, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3901 MacArthur Boulevard in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the Dr. Rudy Lombard Post Office. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), my distinguished colleague.

Mr. RASKIN

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, this week marked the one thousandth day of imprisonment of one of Hong Kong's 1,648 political prisoners: Jimmy Lai, a hugely successful businessman, owner of Hong Kong's major newspaper, and a freedom fighter for the people of Hong Kong. His ``crimes'' that have landed him in a maximum-security prison at age 75? Supporting pro-democracy protests and publishing the truth about the Chinese Communist Party's creeping authoritarian takeover of Hong Kong. I have begun the process of adopting his case as a ``prisoner of conscience'' with the Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights and I urge all colleagues, Democrats and Republicans alike, to adopt a political prisoner, a religious prisoner or some other prisoner of conscience in this time of terrifying global crackdown on human rights and free expression. Jimmy Lai recognized that a free press that reports the facts is essential to democracy and a free society. He founded one of Hong Kong's most reputable papers in 1991, Apple Daily, in reference to the Garden of Eden's fruit of knowledge. One of the paper's original mottos was ``an apple a day keeps the liars away.'' Jimmy Lai's newspaper continued to report the facts as Hong Kong citizens from all walks of life--led by thousands of courageous young people--demonstrated for their freedom and against Beijing's repressive ``National Security Law'' in 2019. It is for this principled defense of truth and common sense in a civil society that Mr. Lai has been unjustly detained by China's authoritarian expansion into the free city of Hong Kong. According to the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a human rights organization, Jimmy Lai is one of 1,648 Hong Kongers who are political prisoners today. This staggering number--reached after just four years--puts the once-free Hong Kong on the same plane as countries like Belarus and Myanmar. Everyday Hong Kongers who dared to dream of a democratic future are instead languishing in detention. They await trial and sentencing before a hyper-politicized judiciary executing a twisted facsimile of Hong Kong's traditionally independent, common law court system. Jimmy Lai was first arrested in August 2020 as one of the first targets of the repressive ''National Security Law'' imposed by mainland China. He has since been arrested numerous times, charged with everything from collusion with foreign powers, to so-called ``unauthorized assembly,'' to alleged fraud. Many of his fellow political prisoners in Hong Kong face charges that are similar affronts to a free society. The reactionary movement against democracy is global, which is why our movement to defend democracy is also global. I salute the courageous activists, like Jimmy Lai, who refuse to bend to the brutal forces of fear and authoritarianism. Whether they live in Washington, D.C. or Hong Kong or Moscow or Kyiv, everyone should have the right to determine their own destiny. I stand here today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in solidarity with Jimmy Lai as he marks his one thousand and first day as a political prisoner. Please join me in acting in solidarity with Jimmy Lai and demand his immediate release and freedom from the Chinese government.

Mr. RASKIN

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Mr. Benjamin Zelenko, a distinguished constituent and exemplary citizen who helped shape the revival of our national commitment to equality through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mr. Zelenko has accomplished a lifetime of excellent service to this great Nation and this body, making vital contributions to our journey towards a more perfect union. Mr. Zelenko served as a top aide to Representative Emanuel Celler, the legendary Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee during the apex of the Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Zelenko played a critical role in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and the Gun Control Act of 1968. Mr. Zelenko helped Representative Celler shepherd these bills through fraught Committee debates, floor debates and final passage. Later in his career, Mr. Zelenko represented Japanese Americans in their fight for reparations and redress for their unlawful and outrageous internment by the U.S. Government during World War II. He argued their case in United States v. William Hohri, et al. before the U.S. Supreme Court. This case helped pave the way for the enactment of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 which awarded $20,000 in reparations and an official apology from the U.S. Government to tens of thousands of Japanese Americans. Throughout his career in several of our Nation's leading law firms, Mr. Zelenko championed human rights, workers' rights, and intellectual property rights. Mr. Zelenko documented his experiences helping to pass monumental legislation for an oral history project conducted by this body's Office of the Historian for the public record. His encyclopedic recollection of the minutiae of the events of 1964 reminds us that landmark civil rights protections were not inevitable but rather were won through grueling and sustained efforts spanning decades of social struggle. A Princeton University and Harvard Law graduate, Mr. Zelenko contributed his great knowledge and gifts to the unending quest for a more perfect union. We are fortunate as a Nation that he chose to use his immense talents to serve the causes of social justice and equality. Mr. Zelenko is a beloved husband, father and grandfather. He married Barbara (Saltz) Zelenko in 1961. In 1964, the Zelenkos moved to Maryland's beautiful Eighth District where they raised their 3 children, Brian, Laura and Carin. Ben and Barbara Zelenko still live in the same house they first occupied. This year, Mr. Zelenko celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by his loving children and 6 grandchildren, Leslie, Jennifer, Sasha, Katya, Lia and Kayla. Mr. Zelenko is known by his family for being a gracious and captivating host, performing magic shows at all 6 of his grandchildren's birthday parties and seizing any opportunity to tell a great story. I am proud to salute Mr. Zelenko for his lifetime of service and extraordinary character.

Mr. RASKIN

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the urgent need for research funding for epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE). EHE is a rare and devastating cancer that can affect anyone of any age and that grows in the cells that make up our blood vessels, often appearing in the liver, lungs, and bones. This disease is very rare, affecting one in one million people, and is also exceedingly difficult to diagnose. According to the National Cancer Institute, patients suffering from EHE often live with severe pain, broken bones, disability, and respiratory infections. Studies show that EHE is more common in women, but more fatal for men. Because of its status as an exceedingly rare form of cancer, there is no standard treatment available and meager funding for lifesaving research. This rare cancer is extraordinarily difficult to treat and often does not respond to chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Because there is no standard, effective treatment for EHE, many patients must resort to organ transplants and undergo a vascular embolization, where doctors block the artery supplying blood to the tumor. One of my constituents recently lost his beloved cousin, Brianna Rae Carney, to this terrible disease. To honor her courageous, selfless spirit, he wrote me to encourage this body to raise awareness of EHE and invest in robust medical research Mr. Speaker, as a cancer survivor who owes my life to the excellent and effective medical treatment that I was fortunate enough to receive, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting increased federal support for finding more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for this terrible disease.

Mr. RASKIN

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Mr. Ponnambalam has recently been subjected to harassment and wrongful detention by Sri Lankan law enforcement. Despite video evidence contradicting the official account and lack of an official arrest warrant, Mr. Ponnambalam was arrested for behaving in an unruly manner towards state intelligence officers during a public meeting. Fortunately, he was released on bail shortly after his arrest. While I am glad to hear of Mr. Ponnambalam's release, his harassment by Sri Lankan authorities remains highly troubling, and is part of a stream of attacks on minority members of the Sri Lankan parliament. Mr. Ponnambalam is a member of the minority Tamil ethnic group who has advocated for the marginalized and spoken at the United Nations Human Rights Council about the killing of Tamil journalists. Other members of the Sri Lankan parliament have faced harassment because of their activism over the past few months on the destruction of Tamil places of worship, militarization in the Northeast, and other crimes against members of the Tamil ethnic group. Mr. Speaker, we must stand with the victims of human rights violations in their advocacy for their rights. I hope my colleagues will join me in expressing support for Mr. Ponnambalam and in calling for the Sri Lankan government to commit to democratic values and practices.

Mr. RASKIN

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Himes). Mr. HIMES: Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I just heard the gentleman from Virginia say that this is not a censure of Donald Trump, and he is right about that, and, boy, is he right about that because there is no behavior--not a discussion of how he would handle women, not an attack on this Capitol, and not the misuse of classified information--that will ever result in a peep from the Republican majority much less a censure of that behavior. This is a question of standing, Mr. Speaker, amongst other things, if that is what you stand upon. As my colleagues pointed out, we don't hear anything about a colleague whose entire campaign and entire resume was built on falsehood. Instead, we hear that Russia was a hoax. Mr. Speaker, I was there. The investigation began by a Republican chairman. All these investigations were predicated on the fact that a Donald Trump foreign policy aide told the Australian ambassador that they were expecting dirt from the Russians. The most important thing I can say is that I sat next to Adam Schiff for years. He is a man of integrity and dignity. This vote, quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, is a testament to your dignity or lack thereof.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Robert Garcia).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow), a member of the first impeachment team.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, we are here precisely because of Donald Trump, because he wants this retribution exacted against Adam Schiff for standing up against Donald Trump's lies and assaults on American democracy. I congratulate the gentlewoman on her forthcoming baby. That is awesome news. I am wondering if she would share some of her time with me because I have started to run out of time, and she has no speakers over on her side, so consider that. In the meantime, I recognize for 1 minute the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette). I recognize for 1 minute the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse). Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the January 6th Select Committee.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentleman from Mississippi.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, they defend the big lie, they defend the insurrection, they defend George Santos, but they attack Adam Schiff. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the ranking member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Rules Committee for those astute remarks. I note that dozens of Members of our caucus have come to stand with Mr. Schiff today, while the sponsor of this resolution, Mrs. Luna, appears to be completely isolated over on her side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I just want to observe that there are dozens of Members on our side who have come to stand with Mr. Schiff, and it appears to have been evacuated on the other side. There is nobody standing with the Luna resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean), a member of the second House impeachment team.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus and a former member of the January 6th Select Committee.

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the minority leader and a member of the first House impeachment team.