The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IN THE LINE OF DUTY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H3152-H3153 on June 25.
The Department provides billions in unemployment insurance, which peaked around 2011 though spending had declined before the pandemic. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, claimed the Department funds "ineffective and duplicative services" and overregulates the workplace.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, and still I rise.
Madam Speaker, I rise today not to speak of persons who die unjustly at the hands of the constabulary, I rise today to speak of members of the constabulary who die unjustly at the hands of persons who are among what we call ``the public.''
I rise today to accentuate five words: ``In the line of duty.''
These words may be meaningless to some, but there are those who have suffered the pain of having to live with these words for the rest of their lives after having lost someone that they love in the line of duty.
Emily Dickinson, the great American poet, reminds us that, ``A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.'' These words take on meaning for those who are left behind when someone leaves in the line of duty.
I am standing here today in the House to make an appeal to those who have thoughts of doing dastardly deeds simply because a person happens to be a part of the constabulary.
I would beg that you not consider these thoughts, that you abandon them. And I would beg that if you have the opportunity to go to one of the homegoing ceremonies of a person who has left in the line of duty--
I have been to these ceremonies. I have seen the suffering of the families, the tears. I have seen the children who will no longer have a parent to go home to.
All life is precious. I have spoken many times about the lives that have been lost at the hands of the constabulary, but we should never forget that all lives are precious.
And when someone takes the life of a member of the constabulary out of spite, for no cause that can be justified, that person, of course, has to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But that doesn't end the suffering, just as it doesn't end the suffering for the civilian who loses his or her life. It doesn't end the suffering and the pain.
We ought not allow ourselves to become so removed from the lives of others that we cease to have some degree of sympathy and empathy for persons who lose their lives in the line of duty.
If a person finds some degree of comfort in knowing that a person lost life in the line of duty, then you must be a sadist. It is a sadistic thing to conclude that a life lost in the line of duty is something that you can take some degree of pleasure with. You need help.
And I am saying these words today. I am calling this to the attention of people that I don't know, but I know what my staff has reported to me, about persons who lost their lives in the line of duty, and how this number is ticking up, and how many of these lives were lost senselessly.
Madam Speaker, we must respect all life. I believe that we have a responsibility to those that we will never meet and greet, to say to the world that we disapprove of this senseless taking of life as it relates to those in the constabulary. And I am talking about those who are just sitting in a car and someone comes along and takes a life of a person serving in the line of duty.
My uncle was a deputy sheriff. I had great respect for him. I conclude that I am who I am today because of words that my uncle said. My uncle and I were in his police vehicle, and I was asking a lot of questions. And my uncle's words were, ``This boy is asking a lot of questions. I think he is going to be a lawyer.'' I didn't know what a lawyer was, but I respected my uncle's words. And because I had such respect for him at a very young age--I was less than 10 years of age--I concluded that I shall be a lawyer--perhaps not in those words--but I concluded that I would be a lawyer.
So all of my life from that point forward was dedicated to becoming a lawyer because my uncle, the deputy sheriff--well-respected--proclaimed that I would be a lawyer. I thank God that he didn't say, ``You know, this boy is asking a lot of questions. I don't think he is going to amount to anything. He doesn't know anything.''
A word is not dead when it is said. I remember when my uncle died, deputy sheriff, well-respected. I didn't make it to his funeral. I was in the sky over Louisiana on a plane trying to get there, and we were forced out of the sky by an act of God. Destined to stay overnight in Lafayette, I missed his funeral, and I missed him.
Madam Speaker, I want people to know that we who seek justice for those who have been treated unjustly, we don't do it out of some desire to see justice for one. I do it because I desire to seek justice for all. I know what ``in the line of duty'' means to people, and I know what my uncle meant to me.
Madam Speaker, today, I tell my dear friends, I stand here in the House of Representatives proud to be a part of this great country, but with this very simple message: I beg, let's show respect and pray that we will receive respect for those who serve and those who put their lives on the line such that some of them will suffer to have the words ``in the line of duty'' recalled as they make their transition, as their homegoing ceremonies are commemorated.
I truly believe that this country needs to reconcile. We need reconciliation. There are just too many things happening now that are signs of this need of reconciliation that we have not had the opportunity to perfect. And I have suggested to the President that he establish a Department of Reconciliation with a Secretary of Reconciliation. Just as we have a Department of Labor and a Secretary of Labor, to deal with labor issues, we need someone to deal with the need for our country to reconcile our differences.
I am not justifying anything that has happened because of past occurrences with reference to ``in the line of duty.'' I am merely saying that there are so many of these ugly things happening that we ought to find reason to put in place a means by which we can have a discussion about them and properly educate people about all of the things that can make a difference in our lives as we try to adjust our lives for the things that have happened in the past. The past does impact the present as well as the future, and it is time for us to reconcile, Mr. President.
So Madam Speaker, I beg of Mr. President to give consideration to the establishment of a Department of Reconciliation. You would place on our agenda, long after you depart from the Presidency, the continuation of the need to bring this country closer together, to help us to understand each other better, to move forward with a greater desire and love for each other. I pray that we will do this, Mr. President.
And finally, I pray that I will never have to attend another in-the-
line-of-duty ceremony. These things are related in this sense. There are people who believe that somehow the suffering that others have caused that have been inflicted upon people, somehow they are justified by taking the life of a person they do not know. I hope that we can prevent this from happening ever again. I know that it has happened, but I don't want to see it happen again. And I believe that we need to start this process of reconciliation. It will make a difference.
And I pray that we will never again have to go to these ceremonies where we all leave saddened by the loss of someone who was but only doing his or her job.
We need to resolve our differences in this country. There is no justification for what is happening.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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