Russell Senate Office Building is Symbol of Disrespect

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, and still I rise, a proud, liberated Democrat in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm, unbought, unbossed, and unafraid--unafraid to say that the Senate of the United States of America cares more about what they wear to work than the building they work in.

There was a recent kerfuffle about the dress code in the Senate. As a result, some 40 Senators--in fact, about 46--signed a letter addressing this newly installed dress code. I won't read it in its entirety because time doesn't permit, but here is what it says in one paragraph: ``Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent.''

No disrespect, Senators, but I believe allowing Richard Russell's name to stay on the Russell Senate Office Building disrespects the people you serve and disrespects this country. The Richard Russell Senate Office Building is a symbol of racism. It is a symbol of disrespect for the American people, and it certainly disrespects people of African ancestry because Richard Russell was a racist and a bigot.

Richard Russell was the coauthor of the ``Southern Manifesto.'' Richard Russell fought antilynching legislation. Richard Russell's name should not be on a building paid for with taxpayer dollars.

It is time for you to take the same amount of time that you took to reform your dress code and reform the name that is on the Richard Russell Senate Office Building. It is easy to do. Just let it revert back to the name it had before it became the Russell Senate Office Building. Let it become the Old Senate Office Building.

If you need more time, take ad infinitum and decide the name that you most prefer. I have no name to recommend. I only recommend that you take Russell's name off. It took less than 2 weeks to revert back to the old dress code. It has been more than 50 years that Richard Russell's name has been on this building.

Have you no shame, Senators? Do you not respect the people of African ancestry who go in and out of this building? I refuse to enter the Richard Russell Senate Office Building. I am a one-person protest. I refuse to disrespect myself by entering a building named after a bigot and racist who authored the ``Southern Manifesto'' and fought antilynching legislation.

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