Tri-Caucus Welcomes All Interns And Staff

Floor Speech

Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, I come here to read a statement that was recently issued by an organization here in our own Congress, our own body, known as the Tri-Caucus. The Tri-Caucus includes members of the Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus and the Asian Caucus, and is made up of about 87 Members of this body.

The statement says as follows:

``Four of our colleagues, Representatives JOHN SHADEGG of Arizona, PAUL BROUN of Georgia, TRENT FRANKS of Arizona and SUE MYRICK of North Carolina recently requested the House Sergeant at Arms to launch an investigation of the civil rights group CAIR, or Council on American-Islamic Relations, to determine whether it was placing staff and interns in key congressional offices who they fear are acting as `spies.'

``This proposed investigation coincides with the launch of a book by Dave Gaubatz, an anti-Islamic activist and author of the book `Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that's Conspiring to Islamize America.' It features an introduction by Representative Myrick and was written after Gaubatz posed as an intern at CAIR in an effort to `infiltrate' the group.

``These charges smack of an America 60 years ago where lists of `un-American' agitators were identified. We should be affirming the importance of diversity and tolerance for all interns and staff who serve in Congress without suspicion of being identified as `spies.'

``The idea that we should investigate Muslim interns as spies is a blow to the very principle of religious freedom that our Founding Fathers cherished so dearly. If anything, we should be encouraging all Americans to engage in the U.S. political process, to take part in, and to contribute to, the great democratic experiment that is America.

``We all have experienced the sting of discrimination and we know that there will be challenges ahead. But our message should be firm that the America we believe in welcomes people of all backgrounds to the U.S. Congress.

``We ask these charges be disavowed and we issue a hearty welcome to interns and staff of all creeds, color, ethnicities and sexual orientation.''

I read this statement and will submit it for the Record and again thank the leadership of the Tri-Caucus, Congresswoman BARBARA LEE, Congresswoman NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ and Congressman MIKE HONDA. I thank all of them.

END

Source