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.
“WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING?” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H7261-H7262 on Dec. 18, 2020.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WHAT MESSAGE ARE WE SENDING?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Takano). The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for 5 minutes.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, as chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, as someone who cares deeply about human rights and democratic principles, and as a proud Member of this House, I rise to express my deep concern about the damage being done to America's moral authority by those who refuse to accept the legitimate outcome of November's election and who continue to deliberately spread lies and manufacture conspiracy theories that have no basis of fact in an attempt to overturn the will of the American people.
As Americans, we see ourselves as a beacon to the world, as that shining city upon the hill. We believe our political experiment, to create a country united by ideals, rather than blood and soil, is unique and exceptional.
We promote democracy as a pillar of our foreign policy, confident in our own example. We say we are a nation of laws, not men.
Yet, since November 3, a widespread effort to overturn the results of the presidential election have been openly endorsed by some high-
ranking leaders and facilitated by the silence of many more.
For the record, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won by more than 7 million votes. They received 81 million votes, 51.3 percent of the total cast. On Monday, President-elect Biden won 306 electoral college votes, two more than President Trump in 2016.
There is no question that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election resoundingly. Those who believe otherwise first alleged massive fraud, then claimed election procedures were unfair. But when granted the opportunity in courts of law to present evidence of fraud, they couldn't do it.
There simply is no proof of fraud at any significant scale. The attacks against voting by mail, signature matching, and the like, notably selective to begin with, had mostly already been litigated.
Mr. Speaker, it is critically important that Americans trust our elections. That is why credible claims of fraud or irregularities must be investigated and corrective action taken. That has happened.
There have been multiple recounts. Three in Georgia alone. Those seeking to overturn the election results have lost 59 times in courts across seven States and twice before this Supreme Court.
At least 86 judges, many appointed by Republicans, have rejected at least one post-election lawsuit. All three Supreme Court Justices nominated by President Trump ruled against him.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the November elections were free and fair. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said that the election ``was the most secure in American history'' and ``there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.''
Attorney General Barr, of all people, said that the Justice Department has uncovered no voting fraud ``on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election.'' I am using his words.
The election is over, yet President Trump still refuses to concede and his allies continue to look for ways to throw out the votes of millions of Americans.
Mr. Speaker, this is crazy. It is un-democratic and un-American, and it degrades democracy in every corner of the world. If this were happening in another country, our government would rightfully demand that the results of free and fair elections be respected.
Mr. Speaker, some may criticize my remarks today because I objected to certifying the electoral college results in 2017. So let me be clear. I do not oppose using established constitutional procedures. I object when those procedures are not used to further the truth or to undermine it.
In 2017, eight U.S. intelligence agencies--eight--said that Russia had engaged in an unprecedented attempt to interfere in our elections in favor of Donald Trump. I sought the kind of assurance about the security of the 2016 election that has already been provided for 2020. It was not forthcoming.
Mr. Speaker, America's institutions will survive the test of the last few weeks. Due to the quiet courage and commitment of thousands of volunteer election workers, local and State election officials--some facing threats and intimidation--and the integrity of our courts, the clear choice of the people will be respected. But I worry that we are becoming what we condemn elsewhere.
Democracy is not guaranteed. Each of us has to choose democracy every day in the way we conduct our politics. Either we choose to enforce democratic rules of the game or we don't. Either we choose to accept the losses alongside the wins or we don't. Either we choose to tell the truth or we don't.
Mr. Speaker, today I urge my colleagues to proceed with caution. If our politics belie our values, we will be lost at home and ignored abroad.
I believe we are an exceptional country. Let's act like it.
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