PROTECTION FOR EXPOSURE OF GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

PROTECTION FOR EXPOSURE OF GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 49 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2555-H2556] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PROTECTION FOR EXPOSURE OF GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION (Ms. Tlaib of Michigan was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, alerting the public to government wrongdoing is not a crime. Yet, sadly, administrations of both parties are increasingly using the Espionage Act to target and prosecute whistleblowers and journalists for sharing critical information, important information, with the public. Such prosecutions undermine our government's transparency and are a clear violation of the First Amendment and fundamental right to due process. That is why I am introducing the Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act, which would prevent abuses against whistleblowers, journalists, and the American public for exposing government corruption. Ever since it became law in 1917, the Espionage Act has been used to criminalize political dissent, and that is dangerous. It has been used to target whistleblowers who alerted the American people about government lies about the Vietnam war, mass surveillance, torture, drone assassinations, and the U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. In recent years, the use of this repressive tool has prosecuted whistleblowers and journalists acting in the public interest and has expanded dramatically, producing a major chilling effect on the right to dissent in our country. In our country, war has always been used as an excuse by the powerful to take away the rights of our people. This legislation is named in honor of the late Daniel Ellsberg, the celebrated whistleblower who bravely exposed government lies about the Vietnam war with the publication of the Pentagon Papers. Today, our government is committing horrific war crimes against humanity, from Iran to Palestine to Cuba, while expanding mass surveillance and spying on Americans more than ever. If we allow Presidential administrations to continue to abuse this power and erode our rights, we will lose our freedom of speech and so much more. It is time to put an end to these abuses and stand up for our First Amendment rights and freedoms. Strife in Lebanon Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the celebration of Eid al- Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, thousands of our families in the 12th Congressional District who have strong ties to Lebanon are struggling right now. This year's Eid feels different for us. I know many have lost loved ones. Many mosques are full of memorials, and many, many, again, are watching their grandparents' homes be bombed and seeing relatives, uprooted from their neighbors, becoming homeless. This campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli Government has already killed nearly 1,000 people, including over 100 children that we know of. Over 1 million people in Lebanon, one-fifth of Lebanon's entire population, has been forcibly displaced and told by the Israeli military that they will not be allowed to return to their homes and their villages. This has all been supported and enabled by our tax dollars. Mr. Speaker, entire families have been wiped out, and towns and city neighborhoods have been completely erased. Entire generations-- grandparents, parents, and children are gone. Medical centers and universities are being targeted. Look it up. They are [[Page H2556]] just bombing medics, children, residential neighborhoods, set aflame with U.S.-produced white phosphorus, which is a war crime, Mr. Speaker, poisoning the land and poisoning the people. We are witnessing the same genocidal playbook used against Palestinians in Gaza, and now they are doing it in Lebanon. Mr. Speaker, I will be introducing a House Resolution standing with the people of Lebanon against these war crimes and calling for an end to this illegal invasion. It is time for us to be able to stop this illegal invasion, enact a total arms embargo, and put an immediate end to this destructive regional war. Public Sector Development of Essential Medications at Cost Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, in Detroit, we say that we don't have healthcare in our country. We have sick care in our country. Under the Trump administration, we know that this crisis is getting worse. Trump has already cut $1 trillion from programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, so I introduced a bill to be able to hone in on the pharmaceutical industry. It is called Medicines for the People Act, a plan to develop essential medicines and medications in the public sector and distribute them to all Americans at not-for- profit rates. The National Institute for Biomedical Research and Development would drive the development of these drugs and devices to lower costs and expand access to medicines, boost innovation, and address public health concerns. It creates the real competition that we need in our healthcare system: lower the prices and save lives. We all know that there are real consequences to these higher costs and fewer breakthroughs in the industry that prioritizes profits over public health, so I urge my colleagues to please support Medicines for the People Act. It is important because healthcare is a human right. Mr. Speaker, it is time to build a system that ensures that lifesaving prescription drugs are affordable and accessible to everyone. When my residents tell me that we have sick care instead of healthcare, that should be a signal that we need to do more and need to be able to combat profit and corporate greed within our healthcare system. ____________________