H. RES. 489
Condemning President Trump’s racist comments directed at Members of Congress.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 15, 2019
Mr.
Malinowski (for himself, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr.
García of Illinois, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Omar, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms.
Mucarsel-Powell, Mrs. Torres of California, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms.
Tlaib, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Jackson Lee, and Mr. Espaillat)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Condemning President Trump’s racist comments directed at Members of Congress.
Whereas
the Founders conceived America as a haven of refuge for people fleeing
from religious and political persecution, and Thomas Jefferson,
Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison all emphasized that the Nation
gained as it attracted new people in search of freedom and livelihood
for their families;
Whereas the
Declaration of Independence defined America as a covenant based on
equality, the unalienable Rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness, and government by the consent of the people;
Whereas
Benjamin Franklin said at the Constitutional convention, “When
foreigners after looking about for some other Country in which they can
obtain more happiness, give a preference to ours, it is a proof of
attachment which ought to excite our confidence and affection”;
Whereas
President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Remember, remember always, that
all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and
revolutionists”;
Whereas immigration
of people from all over the Earth has defined every stage of American
history and propelled our social, economic, political, scientific,
cultural, artistic, and technological progress as a people, and all
Americans, except for the descendants of Native people and enslaved
African Americans, are immigrants or descendants of immigrants;
Whereas
the commitment to immigration and asylum has been not a partisan cause
but a powerful national value that has infused the work of many
Presidents;
Whereas American
patriotism is defined not by race or ethnicity but by devotion to the
Constitutional ideals of equality, liberty, inclusion, and democracy and
by service to our communities and struggle for the common good;
Whereas
President John F. Kennedy, whose family came to the United States from
Ireland, stated in his 1958 book “A Nation of Immigrants” that “The
contribution of immigrants can be seen in every aspect of our national
life. We see it in religion, in politics, in business, in the arts, in
education, even in athletics and entertainment. There is no part of our
nation that has not been touched by our immigrant background. Everywhere
immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American
life.”;
Whereas President Ronald Reagan in his last speech as President conveyed “An observation about a country which I love”;
Whereas
as President Reagan observed, the torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our
freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our
grandparents, and our ancestors, and it is the Statue of Liberty and its
values that give us our great and special place in the world;
Whereas
other countries may seek to compete with us, but in one vital area, as
“a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the world,
no country on Earth comes close”;
Whereas
it is the great life force of “each generation of new Americans that
guarantees that America’s triumph shall continue unsurpassed” through
the 21st century and beyond and is part of the “magical, intoxicating
power of America”;
Whereas this is
“one of the most important sources of America’s greatness: we lead the
world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength —
from every country and every corner of the world, and by doing so we
continuously renew and enrich our nation”;
Whereas
“thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re
a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and
always on the cutting edge”, always leading the world to the next
frontier;
Whereas this openness is
vital to our future as a Nation, and “if we ever closed the door to new
Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost”; and
Whereas
President Donald Trump’s racist comments have legitimized fear and
hatred of new Americans and people of color: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1)
believes that immigrants and their descendants have made America
stronger, and that those who take the oath of citizenship are every bit
as American as those whose families have lived in the United States for
many generations;
(2)
is committed to keeping America open to those lawfully seeking refuge
and asylum from violence and oppression, and those who are willing to
work hard to live the American Dream, no matter their race, ethnicity,
faith, or country of origin; and
(3)
strongly condemns President Donald Trump’s racist comments that have
legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of
color by saying that our fellow Americans who are immigrants, and those
who may look to the President like immigrants, should “go back” to
other countries, by referring to immigrants and asylum seekers as
“invaders,” and by saying that Members of Congress who are immigrants
(or those of our colleagues who are wrongly assumed to be immigrants) do
not belong in Congress or in the United States of America.
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