Blumenauer: Expressing Sense of the House That Symbols and Traditions of Christmas Should be Protected

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is an excellent example of how the House Leadership politicizes non-issues to distract Congress from substantive issues. The Federal Government is obviously not opposed to Christmas, an annual celebration that has deep significance for those of us from a Christian tradition. In that sense, a "Yes" vote is appropriate. But Christmas is not under assault from the Federal Government; there is no need for this resolution. Therefore, a vote of "Present" could be appropriate; there is simply no controversy here. I chose to vote "No," however, because the resolution is flawed. It misses the point. Christmas is not being threatened by the federal government. Instead, the season that celebrates Christ's humble birth in a manger has been commercialized and cheapened by those who celebrate it as the retail highlight of the year. My sincere wish for the New Year is that House leadership sets aside its penchant for distracting and divisive issues to focus on solutions to problems that face Americans every day.